Top 15 Michel Barnier Quotes

former Prime Minister of France (2024)

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Michel Bernard Barnier (born 9 January 1951) is a French politician who currently served as Prime Minister of France. He was the European Commission's Head of Task Force for Relations with the United Kingdom (UK Task Force/UKTF) from 2019 to 2021. He previously served as Chief Negotiator, Task Force for the Preparation and Conduct of the Negotiations with the United Kingdom under Article 50 TEU (Task Force 50/TF50) from October 2016 to November 2019. He has served in several French cabinet positions including Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries from 2007 to 2009, Minister of Foreign Affairs from 2004 to 2005, Minister of State for European Affairs from 1995 to 1997 and minister of the environment and way of life from 1993 to 1995. He served at European level as European Commissioner for Regional Policy from 1999 to 2004 and European Commissioner for Internal Market and Services from 2010 to 2014. He served as vice president of the European People's Party (EPP) from 2010 to 2015. In August 2021, Barnier announced his candidacy for President of France in the 2022 French presidential election. He ran unsuccessfully for The Republicans' presidential nomination. He was appointed prime minister by Emmanuel Macron on 5 September 2024.

Bio from: Wikiquote (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Alternative Names: Michel Jean Barnier

From Wikidata (CC0)

On the EU side, we had intense discussions with EU member states on the need to guarantee the integrity of the EU's single market, while keeping that border fully open. In this sense, the [Irish border] backstop is the maximum amount of flexibility that the EU can offer to a non-member state.

Everybody will have to pay a price - EU and UK - because there is no added value to Brexit. Brexit is a negative negotiation. It is a lose-lose game for everybody.

No deal was never our desire or intended scenario but the EU 27 is now prepared. It becomes day after day more likely.

We are open to work on a permanent customs union should the UK decide to take this path

[There are currently only two Brexit options - the PM's deal or no deal. Even if MPs decided to take no deal off the table, it would not stop it from happening unless there was] a positive majority for another solution.

We are still not there. There are still several issues which remain unresolved, including that of Ireland, and therefore what I understand is that more time is required to find this comprehensive deal and to reach this decisive progress which we need in order to finalise these negotiations on the orderly exit of the United Kingdom.

Brexit was not our choice, it is the choice of the UK. Our proposal tries to help the UK in managing the negative fallout of Brexit in Northern Ireland in a way that respects the territorial integrity of the UK.

It is not possible to get freedom for goods without freedom for services, in particular for the movement of people

[The Chequers plan] is useful because it clearly defines what the wishes are for the UK for future relations.

[<nowiki/>Theresay May's plans] would be the end of the single market and the European project

The EU is prepared to offer Britain a partnership such as there never has been with any other third country

The single market is our main economic public good. There will be no damaging it, no unravelling what we have achieved together with the UK.

The UK's decision to opt out of free movement rules and largely end the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice means that the UK cannot take part in the European Arrest Warrant

To be clear: without a [border] backstop, there can be no withdrawal agreement

No deal will be a very bad deal.