An MEP has revealed Michel Barnier intends to secure a good Brexit deal in his bid to become President of the European Commission.
Alain Lamassoure, a French Member of the European Parliament for the south-west of France, told Politico that a satisfactory deal with the United Kingdom could be reached. He said this is because the EU's Chief Negotiator can use the Brexit negotiations to secure his attempt to replace Jean-Claude Juncker as the European Commission's President in 2019.
It has always been Mr. Barnier's dream to become President of the European Commission
He said that it has always been Mr. Barnier's dream to become President of the European Commission, but that his lack of prime ministerial experience was a key factor in his unsuccessful bid to beat Mr. Juncker in 2014. According to the French MEP, if Britain's withdrawal from the EU runs smoothly, this would boost his chances next time round.
Mr. Lamassoure said the negotiations will be finished in time for the next round of elections, which would provide him with a platform to contest other candidates for Mr. Juncker's position, especially if the discussions were concluded brilliantly.
The current President of the European Commission announced that he intends to resign once his term comes to an end in 2019.
With all the attention on Mr. Barnier due to Brexit, this could strengthen his electoral platform.
Mr. Barnier is interested in organising an adequate Brexit deal
The EU's Chief Negotiator has already had meetings with the leaders of the trading bloc's 27 member states in order to make them familiar with him. His portfolio means that he has direct dealings with the European Parliament, who elect the Commission President based on a nomination from the European Council.
This is why Mr. Barnier is interested in organising an adequate Brexit deal.
A joint press conference with Brexit Secretary David Davis suggested there had been no progress during the third round of discussions. The Chief Negotiator insisted that he was not angry, but determined, to see these negotiations through to the end.
He deeply regretted Britain's decision to leave the trading bloc
French Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire recently supported Mr. Barnier's calls for a British divorce bill, saying he deeply regretted Britain's decision to leave the trading bloc in June last year. He is worried that a large exit bill may jeopardise the entire European project as he called for increased Eurozone integration.
The En Marche! politician called for neither a soft nor hard Brexit, but a fair one. He said there should be no blackmail, but added they must pay the bill as they have decided to leave the hotel.
Yesterday in PMQs, the Prime Minister said that whilst immigration had been good for the economy, the free movement of people would end once the UK leaves the trading bloc.
On Tuesday, Mr. Davis reported his progress on the Brexit discussions to the House of Commons, but met an eruption of laughter as he said the Government had demonstrated more flexibility than the EU during their discussions. He said that he wants a deep and special partnership with Brussels in the future and that his Brexit papers provided clear guidance on what that would look like.
Many Conservative MPs cheered whilst opposition MPs jeered as the Brexit Secretary said he has urged the trading bloc to be more imaginative and flexible in their approach. He said he has a duty to taxpayers to interrogate why Brussels is demanding a large sum prior to Britain's EU exit.
Mr. Davis admitted there were still significant differences to be resolved, as he declared there would be new position papers being produced by the Department for Exiting the EU in the coming weeks.
Both sides of the Commons laughed as the Conservative minister admitted the process was never going to be easy.
He said that these negotiations were always going to be tough and confrontational, but the Government has not lost sight of its aim to create a global Britain which can create trade deals with some of the world's largest economies.