Socialist leaders meet ahead of the European Council, arrivals and statements. On the agenda, latest Brexit negotiations developments. Doorsteps by Frans TIMMERMANS, Executive Vice-President-designate, European Green Deal, Jeremy CORBYN, British Leader of the opposition, Antti RINNE, Finnish Prime Minister and David SASSOLI, EP President.

Socialist leaders meet ahead of the European Council: arrivals and statements

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Arrival of Alexis TSIPRAS, former Prime Minister of Greece and leader of the Greek Syriza party.

SOUNDBITE (English), Frans TIMMERMANS, Executive Vice-President-designate, European Green Deal, I'm very happy that we have a deal. I think it's good, we have a deal that make sure that the things we wanted from the side of the European Union have been guaranteed: the position of Ireland, the Good Friday Agreement safeguarded and also the integrity of the internal market safeguarded. I am really happy that we have now found a conclusion from the EU's perspective that is in line with what we wanted to get in this negotiation.

SOUNDBITE (English), Frans TIMMERMANS, Executive Vice-President-designate, European Green Deal, On one hand I am happy we have an agreement, because the worst thing would be the UK crashing out from the EU. On the other hand, you know me, I am deeply deeply saddened by Brexit.

Arrival of Edi Rama, Prime Minister of Albania.

SOUNDBITE (Italian), David SASSOLI, EP President, We are very happy, everybody worked for an agreed withdrawal of the UK. Now we have to see the texts, there will be a decision by the Council and then by Westminster Parliament. The European Parliament is of course ready to do its part. Thank you.

SOUNDBITE (English), Antti RINNE, Finnish Prime Minister, I would say that there is an agreement which has been accepted in Commission at the EU 27's side. Now it is going to the Coreper and then after Coreper it is going to the European Council. The we are going to decide what we do with this agreement.

SOUNDBITE (English), Jeremy CORBYN, British Leader of the opposition, I thank Louise Ellman for her membership of the Labour Party, for her work, for her constituency, for her contribution to the Party as MEP for many years. I have taken the most resolute action possible of any party leader to deal issues of anti-Semitism or racism of any form in our party. I set up an inquiry into some of the education process and we have suspended and indeed expelled members from it. There is no place whatsoever in our society or in any other for anti-Semitism, Islamophobia or any other form of racism. It is simply not tolerated at all.

SOUNDBITE (English), Jeremy CORBYN, British Leader of the opposition, Well, I'm about to meet my good friend Frans Timmermans now to have a discussion with him about that. And I'm meeting the party of European socialists leaders this afternoon. I think they are also very interested in a good relationship with Britain in the future. Timmermans is a happy man. We'll find out when we get in there about it. So I will be happy to discuss this with Frans Timmermans. But our opposition is that everything we've heard of this agreement, we cannot support it. 

SOUNDBITE (English), Jeremy CORBYN, British Leader of the opposition, This is a day where the prime minister seems to have made a deal with the European Union, which doesn't give us the complete freedom of movement between Britain and Northern Ireland because it creates a customs union border down the Irish Sea. And secondly, it does nothing to deal with all the concerns that we've raised during Theresa May's premiership and his about a race to the bottom in rights and protections. And we believe a deal he's proposed is heading Britain in the direction of a deregulated society where a sell off of national assets to American corporations. So as it stands, we cannot support this deal and will oppose it in parliament on Saturday. And it also is unclear if he has the support of his allies in the DUP or indeed many of his allies on his own backbenchers. 

Arrival of Mette Frederiksen, Prime Minister of Denmark.

Arrival of Elio Di Rupo, Belgian Socialist Leader.

Arrival of Stefan L&ouml;fven, Prime Minister of Sweden.

Arrival of Peter Pellegrini, Prime Minister of Slovakia.

Arrival of Paolo Gentiloni, Commissioner-designate for the Economy.

Arrival of Ant&oacute;nio Costa, Prime Minister of Portugal.

Socialist leaders meet ahead of the European Council: arrivals and statements

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European Council, 17 and 18 October 2019

Brexit