Thread by @faisalislam

Heading straight to Paris as German ministers suggest nothing has changed ahead of May pre-Summit visits... on a minor note no chance to repeat this at the Chancellery from the last PM visit:

https://twitter.com/faisalislam/status/1072505336559493122?s=21

Last time I was in Paris -

a stunning last minute comeback against the a French team with a German manager... by a weary written off hitherto defeated English team...

Do follow @haynesdeborah - shes in Lux has news from her EU27 contacts about reluctance over duration of an extension - and how the Rees Mogg tweets on not cooperating on Budgets etc have become a talking point and increased the conditions to be attached to any extension offered.

So PM about to arrive at the @Elysee ... officials here briefed out a series of stringent sounding conditions for a longer extension and limitations on UK influence over Budget and Commission President...

But the real takeaway is they are openly considering the longer extension

While you are waiting / I dug out at the EUI De Gaulle’s “Non” press conference transcript when we were waiting for the PM’s Florence speech in 2017 “England is in effect insular, maritime - structure and economy differ profoundly from those of the other states of the Continent”

Macron awaits

Arrival:

Here is the full draft Emergency summit conclusions:

1. Draft agrees extension “only as long as necessary, no longer than [xx.xx.xxxx] ie to be set by EU leaders meeting tomorrow at 27 after PM May addresses them. Current expectations, not certain end of year. Flextension: can be shortened if WA ratified by both parties earlier.

2. If UK didn’t hold EU elections - Withdrawal will take place on 1 June.

Academic - they are now happening in law, after Order passed on Monday.

3. No reopening of the Withdrawal Agreement-

4. This seems significant - first time I recall a reference to “right to revoke.. at any time”

... Yes - the draft EU27 conclusions have for the first time pointed UK towards option to revoke Article 50 - reference wasn’t there last month...

5. Sincere cooperation - effectively Rees Mogg clause