EU Heavyweights Will Block U.K. Single-Market Bid, Spain Says
- Some countries would back migration curbs, Borrell says
- Brexit is a “pain in the ass,” says Spanish foreign minister
Soldiers walk past the European Commission Berlaymont building as European Union (EU) flags fly in Brussels, Belgium.
Photographer: Jasper Juinen/BloombergThe European Union’s biggest countries will block any U.K. attempt to combine single market membership with immigration curbs, Spain’s foreign minister said, piling further pressure on Prime Minister Theresa May as she seeks to finalize her vision for the country’s post-Brexit ties with Europe.
Some smaller European countries would accept a fudge but the most powerful ones, including Germany, France and Spain, won’t allow it, Josep Borrell said in an interview in Luxembourg Tuesday. He was speaking as May prepares to give more detail on her Brexit objectives -- potentially including membership of the single market for goods -- with businesses warning about loss of access to European markets.