Brexit break-up begins as key players stake out terms for talks
The hard divorce bargaining gets under way amid posturing by both sides over exit terms and future trade agreements.
Friday 31 March 2017 20:12, UK
Well before negotiators have sat down face to face, Brexit negotiations are under way in earnest.
In this phase it is all about podium diplomacy, positioning and manoeuvring in public to enhance each sides' opening positions.
In their opening salvos, the European side is putting up a united front, playing it tactically.
So yesterday, French and German leaders very publicly and emphatically insisted the exit deal must be negotiated separately and before the association agreement.
In other words, the terms of the divorce must be settled before discussing how the UK and EU are going to get along as neighbours.
It suits the EU because it means many of the issues they want settled early on will be discussed before the British get a chance to argue over what they are most interested in, in particular the trading arrangements with the EU post-Brexit.
Once the French and Germans had staked out their positions, in Malta, EU Council president Donald Tusk's aides could dress up his negotiating guidelines as concessions.
The divorce deal need not have to be wrapped up before the trade talks start he said, there just needs to be "sufficient progress" in them before moving to the next phase.
As Maltese Prime Minister Joseph Muscat put it to me later, that gives some latitude to the negotiations.
It also allows the EU to claim it has softened its position, offering the British Prime Minister a carrot, as one EU source told Sky News earlier.
Ball back in Theresa May's court.
Mr Muscat also told me the size of the Britain faces after Brexit won't have to be settled before talks about trade etc begin, just an agreement on the methodology on reaching the final tally.
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This could allow Mrs May to argue talks are happening in parallel, while the EU will be able to maintain they are not.
As the parties manoeuvre they know they must maintain goodwill, so a sour start does not end up causing damage to both sides.
Like teenage lovers, the break-up is under way.
Both sides say they are sure they'll stay the best of friends, while others looking on wonder how long they'll be able to keep it up.