EU Brexit Negotiator To Britain: You Can't 'Have The Cake And Eat It At The Same Time'

The people of Britain voted in June to leave the greater European Union so that bureaucrats in Brussels can stop dictating British laws. While the democratic process needs to be respected, no one said it will be easy or painless.

According to Bloomberg, the mandate to negotiate the country's exit from the European Union needs to be unanimously approved by the remaining 27 governments. Tomas Prouza, the top Brexit negotiator representing the Czech Republic, blasted the country in thinking it can "have the cake and eat it at the same time."

Prouza told Bloomberg that there is "zero chance" London can reach a deal that curbs both immigration and free-market access.

"I see exactly zero chance of success if the U.K. wants to create first- and second-class citizens in Europe or if it tries to separate the four basic freedoms of movement."

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Prouza was referring to the EU's four principles of freedom, including the free movement of goods, services, persons (and citizenship including free movement of workers) and capital.

Prouza appears to have allies across the continent. As noted by Bloomberg, governments across Slovakia, Poland and Hungary are ready to block any deal that gives Britain access to the EU single market while simultaneously closing its borders to their own citizens.

"Free movement is the only way that most such services — in construction, retail and so forth — can be traded, as construction workers and baristas cannot provide their services remotely," John Springford, senior research fellow at the Centre for European Reform was quoted by Bloomberg as saying in a report. "Poland will be unwilling to allow U.K. services companies to take market share while its citizens are denied equivalent opportunities in Britain."

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