Michel Barnier insisted the only way for Theresa May to secure a "positive majority" in Parliament for her Brexit withdrawal agreement was to accept she will need to make concessions. In a behind-the-scenes documentary focused on the European Union's chief Brexit negotiator, Mr Barnier confronted top members of the European Parliament (EP) in the aftermath of the vote rejecting the Prime Minister's divorce deal for the first time in January. During the meeting, the Frenchman and MEPs agreed Britain would have to "reconsider" their opposition to the Irish backstop – the insurance clause designed to avoid a hard border on the island of Ireland after Brexit.
In the ARTE documentary, Mr Barnier said: "The only way to avoid a no deal now is that political parties talk and the Mrs May accepts to concede on certain points to build a positive majority.
"We can’t build it for them."
His feelings appeared to be echoed by Belgian MEP, and member of the EP Brexit steering group, Philippe Lamberts: "You cannot ask the Irish Republic to leave the European Union along with the United Kingdom just to avoid a hard border.
"That is, of course, not an option. So they have to reconsider."
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Brexit news: Barnier insisted the "only way" to avoid a hard exit was for May to compromise (Image: ARTE)
During the meeting in Brussels, German MEP Manfred Weber – a candidate to take over the leadership of the European Commission once current President Jean-Claude Juncker retires in October – also revealed the ongoing Brexit
