France calls Johnson a populist and escalates row with UK

According to the senior official, Johnson would appeal to any source to bolster his internal political weight and blame others for his problems.

These words suggest a deadlock in bilateral negotiations over the fisheries dispute, after France complained that its neighbor had refused half of the licenses for Galic seamen to continue their work in British waters.

The UK is a great country, unfortunately for us and for them, it is not in the European Union, but it is a potential partner on various issues and I think that at some point we will be able to have a serious dialogue, for he said when participating in The Grand Jury, which is broadcast by LCI, RTL and Le Figaro, which is what we desire.

Le Drian’s comments come just two days after President Emmanuel Macron promised a response from France before Christmas on the issue of fishing in post-Brexit British waters and “not abandoning our fishermen”.

At the end of October, Paris announced a package of economic sanctions against the United Kingdom, including a ban on British ships from unloading goods in some ports, but Macron froze their application, arguing that the two sides were negotiating.

London then described the French actions as disproportionate and expressed concern about the tone of the rhetoric.

In his remarks today, Le Drian also touched on the migration dispute related to the flow through the Calais Pass, accusing “the British of wanting us to take responsibility for the difficulties they encounter in managing migrants on their lands.”

It is true that they pay us, but we mobilize the many human resources, customs and gendarmes that guarantee security, he explained, referring to the attempt by immigrants to use French territory to reach the United Kingdom.

France calls on the European Union to defend itself against what it sees as London’s non-compliance with what was agreed on its exit from the societal bloc, which now includes 27 member states, which was achieved on the first of last February.

rgh / wmr