European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said on Friday the EU and Britain should treat one another like “loving hedgehogs” in Brexit talks, seemingly calling for a change in approach after the informal meeting at Salzburg ended in disappointment.
“We have to be careful, like two loving hedgehogs. When two hedgehogs hug each other, you have to be careful that there will be no scratches,” Juncker said in an interview with Austrian dailies Die Presse and Salzburger Nachrichten on Friday.
READ MORE: 'We Will Never Agree to Break Up Our Country' – UK PM May
Juncker’s remark raised a few eyebrows online, and netizens joked about the analogy.
What? they want to get on but there are too many pricks in the way? Sounds about right tbh!
— Neal Simpson 🏴 (@NealSlideways) September 21, 2018
is he sauced on the job again?
— Chris Deliso (@RealChrisDeliso) September 21, 2018
Juncker: 'We have to be careful, like two loving hedgehogs. When two hedgehogs hug each other, you have to be careful that there will be no scratches.'
— James Ward (@newswardie) September 21, 2018
And people say #Brexit is no craic.
With Britain set to exit the bloc next March and negotiators still failing to find common ground on a number of key issues, such as the post-Brexit Irish border, the UK is continuing to formulate and implement contingency plans to alleviate the adverse economic effects of crashing out of the union without a deal in place.
Amid the seemingly derailed talks, campaigners have stepped up their efforts to get a second vote, but UK Prime Minister Theresa May ruled out a second referendum earlier this week, saying “this government will never accept a second referendum.”
Another option that has been suggested it the extension of talks, effectively delaying Brexit, to give negotiators more time to agree terms. However, the government has also rejected the idea of postponing Brexit, insisting that the UK will leave the bloc in March 2019.
READ MORE: UK Government Will Never Accept Second Referendum
