Press

The Centre for European Reform (CER) has said that all parties more or less agree on the Brexit stance so the elections mean “very little” for Brexit. CER research fellow Sophia Besch said: "Contrary to the statements of some senior Conservatives in Britain, the German elections will not affect the outcome of Brexit, whatever coalition partner Angela Merkel may choose. “All major German parties want to maintain close economic and political ties to Britain post-Brexit, and limit the economic fallout.  

"The onus is on the British to come up with a serious offer to move the talks forward," Charles Grant, director of the Centre for European Reform (CER), told AFP. "Theresa May needs to make a serious offer on the money that she hasn't made so far. And on the transition, she needs to say what she wants."

John Springford of the Centre for European Reform said money is the UK’s strongest hand although it’s still a weak one.

While fighting words indeed, few if any in Brussels were likely intimidated by the ultimatum — as noted by academics and think tanks, such as the Centre for European Reform — no deal would in fact be far worse than a bad deal.

If the FDP joined a CDU government, eurozone reform would be “dead in the water”, economist Christian Odendahl of the Centre for European Reform said, labelling it “the most dangerous coalition for the euro”.

"The FDP sees itself as the economic and regulatory conscience of Germany and would push the CDU/CSU to double down on its calls for fiscal discipline," said Sophia Besch, research fellow at the Centre for European Reform, in a report. "Should the September election lead to a coalition between the CDU/CSU and the FDP, prospects for eurozone reform would be poor.”