Despite the persistent Brexit chaos in the UK, Germany and Ireland continue to hope for a regular EU exit of the British. Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar and German Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) said after a meeting in the Irish capital Dublin.
At the same time, the Chancellor assured the Irish her support for an open border with Northern Ireland. "Personally, I come from a country that was separated by a wall for many years, living behind the Iron Curtain for 34 years - I know what it means when walls fall, when borders disappear," Merkel said.
"Deeply impressed" by people in the border region
Talking to people living on the border between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland would have "deeply impressed" them on their visit to Dublin, the Chancellor said. Many Irish people fear that Brexit could again create a "hard" border with Northern Ireland and thus new violence. The Good Friday Agreement of 1998, which ended the decades-long Northern Ireland conflict, provides for a borderless border.
Therefore, the Good Friday Agreement must "continue to apply" and also the integrity of the European internal market must be maintained, Merkel said. "We want to do everything possible to avert an unregulated exit from Britain until the last hour."
Varadkar thanked Merkel for their cooperation. Germany is a "strong ally" of Ireland. Merkel asserted: "We want to do everything we can to the last hour to prevent any unjustified withdrawal from the UK."
The British government is currently in talks with the opposition to find a way out of Brexit deadlock. Next Wednesday, EU leaders will meet at a special summit in Brussels. Prime Minister Theresa Maymüsse said before the meeting how things should continue, Merkel said. So far, it is envisaged that Britain will leave the international community on 12 April.