May’s Berlin meet will clear air on exit process

British Prime Minister Theresa May’s visit to Berlin would largely focus on establishing working relationship with strong woman of Europe, German Chancellor Angel Merkel. This would be necessary when May triggers the Article 50 to kickstart the UK’s exit process from the
European Union (EU).
Ahead of her meeting with Merkel, she already took the first step towards Brexit on Wednesday by giving up Britain’s presidency of the European Council.
During her Berlin visit, May will also deliver a clear message about the importance Britain attaches to bilateral relationship with European partners in general and Germany in particular. In choosing Berlin for her first trip outside the UK as leader, the British premier has shown she recognises the importance of building a good functional rapport with Europe’s dominant political figure.
The rapprochement with the EU is important due to a crack created by the groundbreaking vote to leave the bloc.
“I do not underestimate the challenge of negotiating our exit from the European Union and I firmly believe that being able to talk frankly and openly about the issues we face will be an important part of a successful negotiation,” May said in a statement e-mailed by her office.
Though May expects the talks would be tough, she underlined that the UK must negotiate the right and the best deal for trade in goods and services with the EU. Central to the exit negotiations will be the UK’s access to the single market, the backbone of the bloc’s economic system.
Bone of contention in the Brexit negotiations would be freedom of movement, which is notoriously attached to the single market.
The German chancellery believes no concrete negotiations will take place until the UK starts the EU’s exit clause, that is, Article 50, which will mark the beginning of divorce procedures.
Given widespread anger over the exit vote, some EU countries want Britain out of the bloc as soon as possible. But Merkel has called for patience with
London as it sorts out its Brexit negotiating stance.
Merkel has also warned that Britain cannot have continued access to the single market while restricting the freedom of EU citizens to immigrate to Britain — the key issue in the June 23 referendum.
Downing Street would take some time to prepare for the Brexit negotiations, as the government needed to consult with the devolved administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, and with industry sectors to determine the objectives for post-departure relations with the EU. This is important for May to have a strong mandate that would help her in talks.
The EU leaders insist that free movement of workers is indivisible from the other freedoms it provides. All they really mean is that, up to now, they have decreed it to be indivisible. But this last obligation of free movement is one May can’t agree to.
For some, Britain’s seeking privileges of EU membership without the obligations is unfair. This has been summed up by Merkel who calls it “cherry-picking” that mustn’t be allowed.
May’s Berlin visit is seen as an informal beginning of the Brexit process during which Germany will play a greater role in reshaping the EU-UK relationship as a whole.