GUE/NGL President Gabi Zimmer:

“With its common positions on the Brexit negotiations the European Parliament has defended the rights of citizens in the EU and Britain, as well as the people of the north of Ireland. The Council will politically assess next week whether the progress made is sufficient to kick off the second phase of the exit negotiations. As the President of the Left in the European Parliament, I will recommend to the Members of my group to support the joint resolution at the next plenary session.”

“In the second phase, there is a huge need for clarification and negotiation. For us, the rights of EU citizens and the impact of Brexit on the island of Ireland are still in the foreground. The negotiators need to concretely implement the commitments undertaken today.  Citizens must be able to individually go to court to claim their rights. From our point of view, citizens’ rights include all social and labor rights.”

“The procedure for securing ‘settled status’ for EU citizens in the UK must be fair, simple, and transparent. The burdens of the Brexit should not fall alone on the citizens’ shoulders. “

“There must be no hard border between the north and south of Ireland, as promised by May. Now it is up to the British Government to find a solution that protects the Good Friday Agreement in all its components. “