European Affairs Minister Clement Beaune has stood up for Michel Barnier after British newspaper The Telegraph reported that the European Union's chief Brexit negotiator would be side-lined by EU leaders.
"No doubt that British humour the Telegraph is accustomed to: Obviously, full support to Michel Barnier and his mandate! #fakenews", Beaune said in a tweet linking to the Telegraph story.
The statement comes after The Telegraph reported that representatives of the European Union expect President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen to clear the way for heads of state and government to intervene in the deadlocked negotiations in a 16 September flagship speech.
On 2 September, Barnier said that the UK had not engaged constructively with the EU in negotiations over a future trade deal, which the two parties have been trying to sign since the UK left the European bloc on 31 January. His remark was criticised by the official spokesperson of Boris Johnson, who stated that Barnier’s comments are a "misleading representation of our proposals, aimed at deflecting scrutiny from the EU's own positions, which are unrealistic, and unprecedented".
If no free trade agreement is secured by 31 December, and with UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson already having ruled out the possibility of asking for an extension of the transition period, London and Brussels will have to trade on terms set by the World Trade Organisation, meaning tariffs and full border checks will be imposed on UK goods entering the EU.