French far-right leader Marine Le Pen has threatened bring down France’s minority government by the end of the year unless changes are made to the country's budget bill.

France’s minority government has survived a no-confidence vote, two weeks after taking office, getting over the first hurdle placed by left-wing lawmakers to bring down new conservative Prime Minister Michel Barnier.

French Prime Minister Michel Barnier says he has postponed a provincial election in the restive Pacific territory of New Caledonia.

French Prime Minister Michel Barnier faced a rough ride at parliament as he laid out his proposed policies in an inaugural speech that highlighted how difficult governing will be for his minority government.

The French presidential palace has unveiled a new center-right government more than two months after elections that produced a hung parliament and deepened political divisions.

Thousands of protesters have taken to the streets across France, responding to a call from a far-left party leader who criticized as a power grab the president’s appointment of a new prime minister, Michel Barnier.

President Emmanuel Macron has named EU Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier as France’s new prime minister after more than 50 days of caretaker government.

When the United Kingdom walked out of the European Union two years ago, Brexit supporters believed that British pragmatism and common sense would not only see them through but would allow their country to flourish as it stood alone.

Outgoing U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson has been the bane of Brussels for all so many years.

He's known throughout most of Europe as Mr. Brexit, but not so well known at home in France.

European Union lawmakers are set to formally ratify the post-Brexit deal between the EU and the United Kingdom amid ongoing tensions between London and Brussels over Northern Ireland trade rules.

The turbulence centers on Northern Ireland, whose complex status has been one of the trickiest issues in the U.K.-EU divorce. Checks have also been imposed on some British goods going to Northern Ireland because it shares a border with EU member-state Ireland. That would have drawn a hard border between Northern Ireland and Ireland -- exactly what the Brexit trade deal was crafted to avoid. AdThe EU quickly dropped the idea after British, Irish and Northern Ireland politicians expressed alarm. Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s spokesman, Jamie Davies, said the bloc’s move had caused “shock and anger” in Northern Ireland.

A security guard talks to people at the entrance of Novasep factory in Seneffe, Belgium, Thursday, Jan. 28, 2021. The Novasep factory in the town of Seneffe is part of the European production chain for AstraZeneca's coronavirus vaccine. It also indicated how, beyond the medical complexity, the humanitarian needs and the personal pain felt across the continent, the pandemic is also an intense political fight. Much of that political bile pools together in the small Belgian industrial town of Seneffe south of Brussels. Which would make it all the more important for Berlin to ensure the EU gets all the vaccines it can.

Eleven months after Britains formal departure from the EU, Brexit becomes a fact of daily life on Friday, Jan. 1, 2021. The U.K. has chosen to leave the EU, setting a course away from the continental mainland. From a member of the EU, Britain will become its economic rival. Britain’s tabloid press perceived French ill-intent, accusing Paris of trying to force Britain into a Brexit trade deal. EU chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier, a European Unionist and Frenchman to the core, sees tough times ahead for Britain.

UK chief trade negotiator David Frost looks on as Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson signs the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement at 10 Downing Street, London Wednesday Dec. 30, 2020. (Leon Neal/Pool via AP)BRUSSELS – Britain’s Parliament voted resoundingly on Wednesday to approve a trade deal with the European Union, paving the way for an orderly break with the bloc that will finally complete the U.K.’s long and divisive Brexit journey. With just a day to spare, lawmakers in the House of Commons voted 521-73 in favor of the agreement sealed between the U.K. government and the EU last week. She noted that the deal protected trade in goods but did not cover services, which account for 80% of Britain's economy. “We have a deal in trade, which benefits the EU, but not a deal in services, which would have benefitted the U.K.," May said.

European Union ambassadors convened on Christmas Day to start an assessment of the massive free-trade deal the EU struck with Britain. (Olivier Hoslet, Pool via AP)LONDON – First came the Brexit trade deal. Four days after sealing a free trade agreement with the European Union, the British government warned businesses Monday to get ready for disruptions and “bumpy moments” when the new rules take effect on Thursday night. Despite the deal, uncertainty hangs over huge chunks of the relationship between Britain and the EU. ___Follow all AP stories on the Brexit trade talks at h ttps://apnews.com/Brexit

EU ambassadors and lawmakers on both sides of the English Channel will now pore over the “EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement,” which contains over 1,240 pages of text. EU envoys are expected to meet on Monday to discuss the document, drawn up over nine intense months of talks. But other barriers will be raised, as the U.K. loses the kind of access to a huge market that only membership can guarantee. EU member countries are expected to endorse the agreement over the course of next week. But even if they do approve it, the text would only enter force provisionally on New Year’s Day as the European Parliament must also have its say.

A colleague wears a Christmas hat as European Union chief negotiator Michel Barnier, center, carries a binder of the Brexit trade deal during a special meeting of Coreper, at the European Council building in Brussels, Friday, Dec. 25, 2020. European Union ambassadors convened on Christmas Day to start an assessment of the massive free-trade deal the EU struck with Britain. (Olivier Hoslet, Pool via AP)BRUSSELS – The fast-track ratification of the post-Brexit trade deal between the U.K. and the European Union got underway on Christmas Day as ambassadors from the bloc's 27 nations started assessing the accord that takes effect in a week. Without a trade deal, tariffs would have been imposed on trade between the two sides starting Jan. 1. ___Follow all AP stories on the Brexit trade talks at https://apnews.com/Brexit

After Barnier's briefing, an EU diplomat said that “progress has been made. If talks go on beyond that point, it's unclear under what conditions trade would take place in the interim. “Differences on fisheries remain difficult to bridge,” the EU diplomat said. While both sides would suffer economically from a failure to secure a trade deal, most economists think Britain would take a greater hit, at least in the near-term, as it's relatively more reliant on trade with the EU than the other way around. ___Follow all AP stories on the Brexit trade talks at https://apnews.com/Brexit

“We continue to work hard," EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier said in a statement as light faded over EU headquarters on Sunday. A senior British government official said that both sides “have been negotiating throughout the day and expect to continue tomorrow. Johnson is seeking to make sure that as much as possible of the shared British waters are now returned to U.K. vessels only. The talks have bogged down on two main issues over the past days — the EU’s access to U.K. fishing waters and assurances of fair competition between businesses. A trade deal would ensure there are no tariffs and quotas on trade in goods between the two sides, but there would still be technical costs, partly associated with customs checks and non-tariff barriers on services.

(AP Photo/Virginia Mayo)BRUSSELS – European Union and British negotiators on Saturday extended their standoff over EU fishing rights in U.K. waters and remained unable to make a decisive breakthrough in trade talks aimed at averting a chaotic and costly post-Brexit split on New Year's Day. Yet, fishing and control of its waters was an essential part of the 2016 Brexit referendum, when British voters narrowly decided to leave the bloc. And for nations like France, fishing communities have long held a sway over national politics well beyond their economic importance. The talks have bogged down on two main issues over the past days — the EU’s access to U.K. fishing waters and assurances of fair competition between businesses. ___Follow all AP stories about Brexit and British politics at https://apnews.com/Brexit

A man sits in a bench under the sun outside the EU headquarters in Brussels, Friday, Dec. 18, 2020. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)BRUSSELS – The European Union and the United Kingdom are heading into the weekend on a “last attempt" to clinch a post-Brexit trade deal, with EU fishing rights in British waters the most notable remaining obstacle to avoid a chaotic and costly changeover in the new year. “That’s really where we are,” Johnson said, adding “no sensible government" could agree to the EU demands as they stand. The European Parliament issued a three-day ultimatum to negotiators to strike a trade deal if it’s to be in a position to ratify an agreement this year. A trade deal would ensure there are no tariffs and quotas on trade in goods between the two sides, but there would still be technical costs, partly associated with customs checks and non-tariff barriers on services.

On fisheries, the EU has repeatedly said it wants an agreement that guarantees a reciprocal access to markets and waters. EU fishermen are keen to keep working in British waters and the U.K. seafood industry is extremely dependent on exports to the 27-nation bloc. Johnson has made fisheries and U.K. control over its waters a key demand in the long saga of Britain’s departure from the EU. “We give until Sunday to Boris Johnson to make a decision,” said Dacian Ciolos, president of the Renew Europe group in the European Parliament. “He said that, if no agreement could be reached, the UK and the EU would part as friends, with the UK trading with the EU on Australian-style terms.”Australia does not have a free trade deal with the EU.

Shares rose in Asia on Wednesday after revived hopes for more aid for the U.S. economy broke a four-day losing streak on Wall Street. Overnight, the S&P 500 gained 1.3% as investors grew hopeful that Washington can get past its partisan divide to deliver more aid to the struggling economy. The S&P 500 rose 47.13 points to 3,694.62. Small-company stocks did especially well, a sign that investors are feeling more optimistic about prospects for the economy. Still, the S&P 500 remains near its record set a week ago.

European Commission's Head of Task Force for Relations with the United Kingdom Michel Barnier talks to the media outside the EU headquarters in Brussels, Monday, Dec. 14, 2020. “Two conditions are not met yet," he said as he entered a meeting to brief the 27 EU nations on progress in the talks. It highlighted that just as EU fishermen crave to continue working in British waters, the U.K. seafood industry is extremely dependent on exports into the 27-nation bloc. Johnson has made fisheries and U.K. control over its waters a key demand in the long saga of leaving the EU. ___Follow all AP stories on the Brexit trade talks at https://apnews.com/BrexitJ

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen arrives to deliver a statement at the EU headquarters in Brussels, Sunday, Dec. 13, 2020. (Olivier Hoslet/Pool Photo via AP)BRUSSELS – Teetering on the brink of a no-deal Brexit departure, Britain and the European Union stepped back from the void Sunday and agreed to continue trade talks, although both downplayed the chances of success. U.K. and EU negotiators were still talking at EU headquarters on Sunday, with less than three weeks to go until the U.K. leaves the economic embrace of the 27-nation bloc. What we want is a good deal, a deal that respects these principles of economic fair play." Tariffs will be applied to many U.K. goods, including 10% on cars and more than 40% on lamb, hurting the U.K. economy as it struggles to rebound from the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

Johnson’s office confirmed the two leaders would hold a dinner meeting ”to continue discussions on the future relationship between the U.K. and the EU." Reaching a trade deal by then would ensure there are no tariffs and quotas on trade in goods on Jan. 1, although there would still be new costs and red tape for businesses. Britain claimed its Internal Market Bill was needed as an “insurance policy” to protect the flow of goods within the U.K. in the event of a no-deal Brexit. EU officials suggested negotiations could continue past Jan. 1, even as the two sides tumbled into a no-deal trading relationship. The U.K. government sees Brexit as about sovereignty and “taking back control” of the country’s laws, borders and waters.

Johnson’s predecessor, Theresa May, came time and again to negotiate a Brexit deal, only to see it repeatedly rejected by her own Parliament, ending her top-level career. Johnson will be hoping for a quick in-and-out that leaves his reputation intact and his country on course for a free trade deal with its biggest economic partner. Johnson and von der Leyen spoke by phone Monday for the second time in 48 hours, as their negotiators were stuck in gridlocked trade talks. Officials on both sides said there were also major differences over the legal oversight of any trade deal and European boats’ access to U.K. waters. While both Britain and the EU say they want a trade deal, trust and goodwill are strained after months of testy negotiations.

European Union flags flutter in the wind prior to a meeting of Britain's chief negotiator David Frost and EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier at EU headquarters in Brussels, Sunday, Dec. 6, 2020. If there remain major issues with legal oversight of any trade deal and standards of fair play the UK needs to meet to be able to export in the EU, fisheries appears to move toward some sense of compromise. While the U.K. left the EU on Jan. 31, it remains within the bloc’s tariff-free single market and customs union through Dec. 31. A second issue is that the EU wants the toughest legal checks possible on Britain respecting any deal that emerges. The EU has demanded widespread access to U.K. fishing grounds that historically have been open to foreign trawlers.

(Julien Warnand)LONDON – The European Union and the United Kingdom decided Saturday to press on with negotiating a post-Brexit trade deal, with all three key issues still unresolved ahead of a year-end cutoff. While the U.K. left the EU on Jan. 31, it remains within the bloc’s tariff-free single market and customs union through Dec. 31. The talks would surely have collapsed by now, were the interests and economic costs at stake not so massive. “Both sides underlined that no agreement is feasible if these issues are not resolved,” von der Leyen and Johnson said Saturday. The EU has demanded widespread access to U.K. fishing grounds that historically have been open to foreign trawlers.

With less than one month to go before the U.K. exits the EU's economic orbit, talks are continuing, and U.K. officials have said this is the last week to strike a deal. U.K. officials briefed media outlets that the EU had set back negotiations by making last-minute demands — an allegation the bloc denied. Any deal must be approved by lawmakers in Britain and the EU before year’s end. If there is no deal, New Year’s Day will bring huge disruption, with the overnight imposition of tariffs and other barriers to U.K.-EU trade. That will hurt both sides, but the burden will fall most heavily on Britain, which does almost half its trade with the EU.

European Union chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier walks to the Conference Centre in London, Thursday, Dec. 3, 2020. “If we do that, there’s a good chance that we can get a deal across the line in the next few days,” Coveney said. A trade deal by then would ensure there are no tariffs and quotas on trade in goods between the two sides, but there would still be technical costs, partly associated with customs checks and non-tariff barriers on services. If a trade deal came later than Jan 1, it would make for two massive adaptations of customs and border rules within a short time. These relate to fishing rights in British waters, business regulations and state aid.

With less than two months to go before the U.K. exits the EU's economic orbit, trade deal talks resume in London. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein)LONDON – The British government told businesses on Tuesday to make sure they are ready for big changes when the U.K. makes its final Brexit break from the European Union in exactly a month. Talks are continuing, and U.K. officials have said this is the last week to strike a deal. That will hurt both sides, but the burden will fall most heavily on Britain, which does almost half its trade with the EU. But firms that trade with the EU say they still don’t know what conditions they will face in a month’s time.

Teams from Britain and the European Union are continuing face-to-face talks on a post-Brexit trade deal in the little remaining time. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)LONDON – Britain’s foreign minister said Sunday there is only about a week left for the U.K. and the European Union to strike a post-Brexit trade deal, with fishing rights the major obstacle to an agreement. EU countries want their boats to be able to keep fishing in British waters, while the U.K. insists it must control access and quotas. “On fisheries, there is a point of principle: As we leave the transition, we are an independent coastal state and we’ve got to be able to control our waters,” Raab said. That will hurt both sides, but the burden will fall most heavily on Britain, which does almost half its trade with the EU.

LONDON – Teams from Britain and the European Union resumed face-to-face talks on a post-Brexit trade deal Saturday, with both sides sounding gloomy about striking an agreement in the little time that remains. EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier returned to London to meet his U.K. counterpart David Frost. If there is no deal, New Year’s Day will bring huge disruption, with the overnight imposition of tariffs and other barriers to U.K.-EU trade. That will hurt both sides, but the burden will fall most heavily on Britain, which does almost half its trade with the EU. The U.K. claims the EU is failing to respect its independence and making demands it has not placed on other countries with whom it has free trade deals, such as Canada.

With less than two months to go before the U.K. exits the EU's economic orbit, trade deal talks resume in London. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein)BRUSSELS – The European Union said Friday that another week of talks with Britain on a new trade deal has gone with barely any progress. Barnier emerged from a COVID-19 quarantine on Friday and said that after a week of remote video talks the “same significant divergences persist." Barnier was on Friday briefing EU member states and the EU parliament, which all have to give their consent to any deal reached with the U.K. Britain's chief negotiator, David Frost, agreed there were still major differences but said it was worth continuing the talks.

BRUSSELS – With the European Union's chief negotiator Michel Barnier in quarantine, trade talks with the United Kingdom continued by videoconference this week, though the optimism expressed last week seemed to have faded. The talks were shifted to a videoconference last week when an EU official tested positive for the coronavirus, forcing Barnier into a quarantine until at least Thursday. Though the U.K. left the EU on Jan. 31, it remains within the bloc’s tariff-free single market and customs union until the end of this year. Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey warned that the long-term impact of a no-deal Brexit on the British economy would be greater than the long-term impact of the coronavirus pandemic. The bank expects the British economy to end the year around 12% smaller and to not recover its virus-related losses until early 2022.

The Brexit trade negotiations have been suspended Thursday Nov. 19, 2020, at a crucial stage because an EU negotiator has tested positive for the coronavirus and EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier said that we have decided to suspend the negotiations at our level for a short period. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein, FILE)BRUSSELS – As if the Brexit trade negotiations were not tortuous enough, the coronavirus added a twist at a crucial stage on Thursday when top-level talks had to be suspended because an EU negotiator tested positive for COVID-19. It added uncertainty to the negotiations as a deadline looms ever closer and both sides are still divided on three key issues. Only on Wednesday a top European Union official said that trade talks with the United Kingdom still face “substantial work” that might spill over into next week. Both sides had hoped to get a trade deal by then to protect hundreds of thousands of jobs and businesses that could suffer if Brexit leads to a sharp end to existing trade relations.

(AP Photo/Francisco Seco)BRUSSELS – European Union and British negotiators on Monday entered yet another tension-filled week as they sought a belated post-Brexit trade deal that needs to be vetted and get legislative approval before a Jan. 1 cutoff date. The U.K. already left the EU on Jan. 31, but a transition period when EU rules apply to trade and other issues runs until the end of next month. Both sides had hoped to get a trade deal by then to save hundreds of thousands of jobs that could be at stake if Brexit amounts to a brutal cliff edge divorce. And the EU insisted that it wouldn't be forced into any deal because of time pressure. At some point, it will come to EU and UK leaders to settle the final divisive issues.

With less than two months to go before the U.K. exits the EU's economic orbit, trade deal talks resume in London. But the government said it would restore the rejected sections when the bill returns to the House of Commons in late November or December. Critics say it could undermine the foundations of Northern Ireland peace by leading to border checks along the currently invisible frontier between Ireland and Northern Ireland. Britain and the EU say any post-Brexit trade deal must be agreed upon by mid-November so it can be ratified by the end of the year. Although Johnson said Sunday that a trade deal is “there to be done,” the two sides still accuse one another of refusing to compromise.

European Commission's Head of Task Force for Relations with the United Kingdom Michel Barnier arrives for Brexit talks at the Conference Centre in London, Monday, Nov. 9, 2020. With less than two months to go before the U.K. exits the EU's economic orbit, trade deal talks resume in London on Monday. The Internal Market Bill gives the U.K. power to override sections of the agreement dealing with Northern Ireland trade. Environment Secretary George Eustice said that fears the bill could lead to border checks between Northern Ireland and EU member Ireland — something that could undermine Northern Ireland peace — were unfounded. Although Johnson said Sunday that a trade deal is “there to be done,” Frost and Barnier have both warned that serious “divergences” remain.

In a Twitter comment later, Barnier said that “Despite EU efforts to find solutions, very serious divergences remain." “The list of fundamental divergences remains long," said German MEP David McAllister, the legislature's top Brexit official. Barnier insisted again Wednesday that the EU “is prepared for all scenarios.”In the trade negotiations, Britain wants to retain as many of the advantages of EU membership as possible without having to live by the bloc’s rules. The EU is insisting on stringent trade regulations to avoid having a giant buccaneering trade partner on its doorstep that could freely undercut the bloc’s state aid, social and environmental standards. After negotiating in Brussels this week, the talks are set to move to London again in the coming days.

Her successor, Johnson, secured his own withdrawal agreement with the EU in October 2019, allowing for the U.K. to leave on Jan. 31. The two sides are hoping to agree a free trade deal with no tariffs and no quotas. So it is demanding strict legal guarantees on the governance of any trade deal. The EU fears Britain will slash social and environmental standards and pump state money into U.K. industries, becoming a low-regulation economic rival on the bloc’s doorstep. As well as the economic impact, a no-deal exit would endanger everything from U.K. police forces’ access to EU crime databases to U.K.-EU cooperation in science.

Britains foreign minister says there are only narrow differences remaining in trade talks between the U.K. and the European Union. The U.K. government says the bill is needed as an insurance policy to ensure smooth trade among all parts of the U.K. no matter what happens after Brexit. The legislation has soured talks between Britain and the EU on a new trade deal. U.K.-EU talks ground to a halt last week, with each side calling for the other to compromise in order to secure agreement. He told British businesses to prepare for a no-deal economic break with the EU at the end of the year.

Britains foreign minister says there are only narrow differences remaining in trade talks between the U.K. and the European Union. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)LONDON – Britain and the European Union edged toward resuming their troubled trade talks on Monday, after the bloc's chief negotiator said he was ready to “intensify” negotiations on the legal text of an agreement. Britain and the EU have been attempting to strike a new trade deal since the U.K. left the bloc on Jan. 31. He told British businesses to prepare for a no-deal economic break with the EU at the end of the year. The bill soured talks aimed at securing a new trade deal between Britain and the EU.

Britains foreign minister says there are only narrow differences remaining in trade talks between the U.K. and the European Union. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)LONDON – A senior British official said Sunday the door is “still ajar” for post-Brexit talks to continue with the European Union if officials in the bloc change their position on key points. Michael Gove's comments came after Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s spokesman said Friday that the trade talks are “over” unless there is a “fundamental” change of position from the EU. With just weeks to go until the end-of-year deadline, Johnson said the U.K. needed to get ready for leaving the EU with no trade deal. “We’re certainly not saying that if they do change their position we can’t talk to them,” he told the BBC.

European Commission's Head of Task Force for Relations with the United Kingdom Michel Barnier leaves after addressing a media conference at an EU summit in Brussels, Thursday, Oct. 15, 2020. “There is a deal to be done but there needs to be flexibility on both sides,” he told the BBC. The two sides are trying to strike a rudimentary free trade deal and avoid a “no-deal” exit that would hit business and jobs on both sides and compound the economic damage of the coronavirus pandemic. The European Parliament, which must approve any deal, has vowed not to approve any trade deal if the U.K. government doesn’t withdraw this legislation. Britain says the bill, which has yet to become law, is needed as an insurance policy in case the EU behaves unreasonably after Brexit.

European Commission's Head of Task Force for Relations with the United Kingdom Michel Barnier leaves after addressing a media conference at an EU summit in Brussels, Thursday, Oct. 15, 2020. Ahead of Britain's angry retort to the summit conclusions, few doubted that Johnson will lean toward continuing the talks for a few more weeks. Overall, the EU says Britain is trying to retain the advantages of EU membership without the commitment to play by the bloc’s rules. Britain says it is baffled it can't get a quick deal with generous free trade concessions like Canada got a few years ago. It left trust in the Johnson government shattered, and the European Parliament, which must approve any deal, has vowed not to approve any trade deal if the U.K. government doesn’t withdraw this legislation.

EU nations are already looking to the end of the month, when they see the ultimate deadline for an agreement if they still want to get it through legal vetting and parliamentary approvals before the deadline of Jan. 1. A trade deal for the EU and the recently departed U.K. has the potential to save hundreds of thousands of jobs and not exacerbate the economic crisis brought on by the coronavirus pandemic. The EU says Britain is trying to retain the advantages of EU membership without the commitment to play by the bloc's rules. Johnson says the EU must shift its position if it wants a deal, and insists the U.K. is quite prepared to walk away without one. ___Follow all AP stories on the Brexit trade talks at https://apnews.com/Brexit

This would be very bad news for everyone, for the EU and even more so for the United Kingdom." Speaking after a meeting of EU ministers that he chaired, Roth added that “it's now up to the U.K. to make the decisive steps." He said U.K. negotiator David Frost would brief the prime minister before EU leaders meet about whether recent intensive talks have made a deal possible. Johnson says the EU must shift its position if it wants a deal, and insists the U.K. is quite prepared to walk away without one. France warned, that could cost the U.K. the unfettered access it wants to the huge and wealthy continental market.

Now, the end of a transition period is drawing close and both sides have to decide what kind of trade deal, if any, they want. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has long billed the two-day EU summit that starts Thursday as an ultimate deadline. On Monday, Johnson's spokesman said the U.K. still viewed this week's talks as crucial. After months of talks, Britain and the EU appear to remain deadlocked on the key issues of fishing and rules to ensure fair economic competition. ___Follow all AP stories on the Brexit trade talks at https://apnews.com/Brexit.

(Brian Lawless/PA via AP)BRUSSELS – The European Union finally sees progress in trade talks with the United Kingdom, but insists a momentary change in mood between the oft-bickering sides is no guarantee that an agreement will be delivered on time, officials said Thursday. “I would say that the mood appears to have changed," Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin said when he hosted European Council President Charles Michel. It does need substance to follow the mood," he added, urging the negotiators meeting in London this week to speed up progress. In diplomatic delegations in Brussels where member states eagerly follow the talks EU negotiator Michel Barnier has with his counterpart David Frost, there is the same sense of change in the air. In London, the government said the talks would go on straight through to next week's EU summit.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen speaks during a press conference at an EU summit in Brussels, Friday, Oct. 2, 2020. “Where there is a will, there is a way," she said in an assessment of the state of play two weeks before an EU summit to specifically address the post-Brexit trade issue. I have to say simply: that’s bitter.”Barnier insisted it had made negotiations on the trade deal even more difficult. The EU opened legal proceedings against Britain and EU Council President Charles Michel said after an EU summit that the 27 leaders were united that “the Withdrawal Agreement must be implemented in full. Johnson urged the EU to show some flexibility and grant the U.K. the kind of trade deal it already has agreed with Canada.

After a short meeting between the two sides in Brussels, U.K. Brexit planning minister Michael Gove said Britain wouldn't withdraw its Internal Market Bill, which includes clauses to override parts of the Brexit withdrawal treaty. “Those clauses will remain in that bill” as a safety net in case the U.K. and the EU don't reach a trade agreement, Gove said. The rift means that talks between the two sides' trade negotiators will begin Tuesday under an ominous cloud. Sefcovic warned Monday that Britain shouldn't try to use the withdrawal agreement and its Northern Ireland provisions as “a bargaining chip” in trade negotiations. ___Follow all developments on the EU-Britain trade talks at https://apnews.com/Brexit.

The United Kingdom is a founding nation of the United Nations and a member of the Security Council, and the country has been a global diplomatic juggernaut for centuries. Michel's ire was raised when Johnson said he would contemplate breaking an agreement he himself signed with the EU. The withdrawal agreement officially allowed the United Kingdom to leave the bloc last Jan. 31. Northern Ireland has special status in the withdrawal agreement because it is the only part of the U.K. that shares a land border with an EU country. The U.K. is seeking far-reaching access to the wealthy EU market, but doesn't want to live by the rules that underpin trade with the bloc.

Brexit preparation minister Michael Gove describes that as a reasonable worst-case scenario in a letter to logistics firms. Michael Gove, the minister in charge of Brexit preparations, described that as a worst-case scenario in a letter to logistics firms. Without a deal there will be much greater disruption, with the U.K. and the EU having to slap tariffs on each others’ goods. The EU and the U.K. say a deal must be struck by October so it can be approved and ratified before Jan. 1. But negotiators remain at loggerheads on key issues, especially European fishing boats’ access to U.K. waters and competition rules for businesses.

(Aris Oikonomou, Pool via AP)BRUSSELS – The coronavirus pandemic forced the European Union to postpone a scheduled summit for a week after EU Council President Charles Michel went into quarantine because a close collaborator was diagnosed with COVID-19. Leyts said that the European Council chief is “respecting Belgian rules" and "he has gone into quarantine as of today." A July summit took place with exhaustive precautions and no reported health consequences. As the chief of the European Council, Michel is the host of the regular summits of EU leaders. Tuesday's postponement is a setback to the EU leaders' hope for a return to normalcy.

FILE - In this Sunday, Nov. 10, 2019 file photo, former British Prime Ministers Tony Blair, left and John Major attend the Remembrance Sunday ceremony at the Cenotaph in Whitehall in London. One major element of the Brexit withdrawal agreement is the section related to ensuring an open border on the island of Ireland to protect the peace process in Northern Ireland. The issue proved thorny during the more than two years of discussions it took to get a Brexit deal done, as the border between Northern Ireland and Ireland is the only land link between the U.K. and the EU. As a result, the two sides agreed there would be some kind of regulatory border between mainland Britain and Northern Ireland. Major and Blair, who both vociferously opposed Brexit, said the planned legislation puts the 1998 Good Friday agreement that ended decades of violence in Northern Ireland at risk.

FILE - In this Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2020 file photo, Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson leaves Downing Street to attend the weekly session of Prime Ministers Questions in Parliament in London. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has strongly defended his controversial plan to override sections of the Brexit deal that he negotiated with the European Union, arguing that the bloc has an extreme interpretation of the treaty that could jeopardize the future of the U.K. With the government showing no sign of changing course, there are real concerns that ongoing talks on a future trade deal between the U.K. and the EU could collapse within weeks. If that happens, tariffs and other impediments to trade will be imposed by both sides at the start of 2021. As a result, the two sides agreed there would be some kind of regulatory border between mainland Britain and Northern Ireland.

UK and EU officials begin the eighth round of Brexit negotiations in London. Britains decision to break international law by overwriting part of the EU Withdrawal Agreement has alarmed European leaders and threatens to scuttle the fragile negotiations on future U.K.-EU relations, which are ongoing simultaneously in the British capital. Huebner warned that undermining the withdrawal agreement would pose a serious threat to lasting peace and prosperity on the island of Ireland." It says it's doing so in order to protect the peace agreement in the event there is no deal with the EU. The withdrawal agreement is not open for renegotiation and we expect that the letter and the spirit of the withdrawal agreement will be fully respected, Sefcovic said.

FILE - In this Friday, June 5, 2020 file photo, European Union's chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier gives a news conference after Brexit talks, in Brussels, Belgium. (Yves Herman, Pool Photo via AP, File)LONDON The U.K.s chief negotiator in post-Brexit trade talks called for more realism from the European Union ahead of the start Tuesday of another round of discussions between the two sides. With expectations of a breakthrough in the talks diminishing, there are concerns that they could collapse in the coming weeks. The two sides have been negotiating future trade ties over the past few months but progress has been minimal. The EU side will be led by its long-time Brexit negotiator, Michel Barnier.

The comments show growing signs that trust between the two sides is evaporating ahead of another round of Brexit trade talks Tuesday in London. Monday's developments prompted widespread selling of the British pound as traders priced in a growing likelihood that the trade talks could be heading for collapse. During this transition period, the U.K. remains within the EUs economic orbit, benefiting from frictionless and tariff-free trade. For the U.K. and the EU to find compromises on the sticking points, both sides must work to build trust, he said. __Follow all AP stories about Brexit and British politics at https://apnews.com/Brexit.

FILE - In this file photo dated Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2019, United Kingdom's Brexit envoy David Frost arrives at EU headquarters in Brussels. Britains chief Brexit negotiator Frost is quoted in a newspaper Sunday Sept. 6, 2020, saying Britain wants to get back the powers to control our borders and that is the most important thing, as he talks tough ahead of crucial Brexit trade talks, saying the U.K. was not afraid to walk away. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco, FILE)LONDON Britains chief Brexit negotiator talked tough ahead of a crucial round of post-Brexit trade talks, saying the U.K. was not afraid to walk away if the European Union does not give ground on key issues. The key sticking points are European boats access to U.K. fishing waters and state aid to industries. Both sides have downplayed the chances of a deal, though some of that rhetoric is muscle-flexing before crucial weeks of talks.

FILE - In this file photo dated Monday, May 18, 2020, traffic moves along the M6 motorway near Birmingham, England. The EU is insisting on a level-playing field for companies, so British firms cant undercut the bloc's environmental or workplace standards, or pump public money into U.K. industries. So far the U.K. has not, frankly speaking, engaged constructively, Barnier told an event hosted by an Irish think tank. Supporters of Brexit say leaving the EUs single market for goods and services will let Britain strike new trade deals around the world. Most economists say new trade deals are unlikely to make up for the economic hit of erecting barriers with the EU, which accounts for almost half of Britains trade.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian left, and German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas attend the opening session of the French ambassadors to European countries in Paris, Monday, Aug. 31, 2020. The 27-nation EU and the U.K. remain deadlocked in their talks on future trade ties after a transitional divorce period ends on Dec. 31. Negotiations are not advancing, because of the intransigent and unrealistic attitude of the United Kingdom," French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian told his nation's ambassadors in Paris Monday. And Le Drian insisted that the 27 won't buckle under pressure from London. That, he said, would result in countries such as Italy, Spain or Poland taking greater responsibility for shaping EU foreign policy.

(AP Photo/Matt Dunham)BRUSSELS EU and U.K. negotiators have yet to find a way to overcome significant divergences" in their attempt to seal a post-Brexit compromise, a spokesman for the European Union's executive arm said on Thursday. The parties appear far apart on a number of issues including regulations for businesses and the fishing industry, with the U.K. adamantly opposed to EU demands for long-term access to British waters. The EU is engaging constructively and in good faith, as Michel Barnier pointed out earlier this week," Ferrie said, referring to the EU chief negotiator. We are working hard to overcome the significant divergences that remain between us." ___Follow APs full coverage of British politics and Brexit trade negotiations at https://apnews.com/Brexit

European Union's Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier waits for start of a meeting on further Brexit negotiations at EU headquarters in Brussels, Monday, June 29, 2020. European Union and U.K. negotiators resumed in-person talks on a post-Brexit trade deal on Monday, with both sides insisting that the process must accelerate markedly if they're to reach an agreement by the end of the year. It means that we need to intensify the negotiations, EU Council President Charles Michel said on June 19, after chairing a summit of the blocs leaders. The parties disagree notably on regulations for businesses and for the fishing industry, with the U.K. firmly opposed to EU demands for long-term access to British waters. EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier has said a trade deal remains possible if there is compromise on fisheries.

Following four days of video discussions between officials from the two teams of negotiators, the sides remained at loggerheads on many topics, including on regulations for businesses. Their positions on fisheries remain distant, with the U.K. opposed to EU demands for long-term access to British waters. There was no significant progress this week," the EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier said during a press conference. The U.K. left the political institutions of the EU on Jan. 31 but remains inside the EUs tariff-free single market and customs union until the end of the year. That so-called transition period can be extended by two years to allow more time for a satisfying compromise, yet a request to do so has to be made by July 1.

Discussions over a trade deal have made little headway, with both sides arguing that the other is creating unnecessary obstacles. And that's raised concerns that the British economy faces the prospect of a no deal scenario at a time of acute stress related to the coronavirus pandemic. Japanese carmaker Nissan joined other businesses in expressing concerns, warning it will not be able to sustain operations at its plant in Sunderland, northeast England, if the negotiations fail to lead to a trade deal. Another round of Brexit talks is taking place via video conferencing and is expected to conclude Friday. ___Follow APs full coverage of Brexit and British politics at https://www.apnews.com/Brexit

European Union's chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier speaks during a media conference, following the third round of Brexit talks between the EU and Britain, at EU headquarters in Brussels, Friday, May 15, 2020. (Francois Lenoir, Pool Photo via AP)BRUSSELS The European Union's top executive and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will meet this month for talks that could give new momentum to the stalled post-Brexit negotiations. The U.K. wants a fisheries deal to be a standalone agreement whereby the two sides negotiate access and quotas. The U.K. has been taking a step back two steps back, three steps back from the original commitments, Barnier said. ___Follow APs full coverage of British politics and Brexit trade negotiations at https://apnews.com/Brexit