UK media generally bashed Prime Minister Theresa May’s performance at the informal EU summit in Austria. There are headlines today like “May humiliated,” “Humiliation for May,” “Embarrassing rebuff for PM in Salzburg,” “Your Brexit’s broken,”etc. It’s rather common for UK politicians to get the harshest words back at home. Comments from the EU were so far rather gentle.
House Minister James Brokenshire defended her in a BBC radio interview, saying ” the prime minister is getting the right deal for our country. She is sticking up for Britain, sticking up what will work for country. These are tough negotiations.”
However, Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said, “Now that the EU has explicitly rejected it, the Chequers pretence has to stop. At the very least, single market/customs union membership must be back on the table and the Article 50 clock stopped to avoid a cliff edge”.
Separately, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker urge EU and UK to be like “two loving hedgehogs”. And, “when two hedgehogs hug each other, you have to be careful that there will be no scratches.”