Belgian Prime Minister ‘Not Very Optimistic’ on Brexit Talks

(Bloomberg) -- Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel said he is “not very optimistic at this point” about progress in the Brexit negotiations.

“The feeling that dominates is the impression that the British continue to negotiate with the British, and not with the EU,” Michel told reporters in Brussels on Friday after a summit of European Union leaders. “The red lines set by the U.K. are essentially incompatible with the fundamental principles of the EU.”

EU President Donald Tusk said after the summit that “a great deal of work” remains in the Brexit negotiations. “And the most difficult tasks are still unresolved,” he said.

“If we want to reach a deal in October we need quick progress,” Tusk said. “This is the last call to lay the cards on the table.”

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker on Thursday urged British Prime Minister Theresa May to “make clear” the positions of the U.K. administration, saying: “We can’t go on to live with a split Cabinet.”

May has scheduled a meeting of her Cabinet next week for showdown talks.

To contact the reporter on this story: Marine Strauss in Brussels at mstrauss30@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Fergal O'Brien at fobrien@bloomberg.net, Jones Hayden

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