Britain's PM outlines Brexit roadmap amid pro-EU protests in Florence

British Prime Minister Theresa May used a stop in the Italian cultural capital of Florence to set out a road map for her country's departure from the European Union (EU) while promising that ties between Britain and the EU would remain strong even after the so-called "Brexit" period concludes.


May's remarks were her most detailed yet regarding the period after Britain's March 2019 departure from the EU. She proposed a two-year transition period and said it would include payments worth 20 billion euros (24 billion US dollars over that span). May also indicated Britain would continue to collaborate with the EU in areas that benefitted both sides, such as security and scientific research. 

May arrived amid tight security and faced protests at several spots around the city, most of it pro-European Union. Several protestors held signs featuring unflattering caricatures of May, along with critical slogans.

Hundreds of blue-and-yellow European Union flags were in evidence at every stop May made, including one hung over the podium where Florence mayor Dario Nardella formally welcomed May to the city.

"Though this is changing a little, Italy is still a very pro-European Union country," Enzo Moavero, director of the School of Law and a former Italian Minister for European Affairs, said in an interview. "That would be even more true for the arrival of a polarizing figure like May."

The prime minister's visit came just before Monday's restart of talks on terms for Britain's withdrawal from the 28-member bloc. May has said she would rather have no deal than one that would be harmful to Britain, and commentators told Xinhua that her remarks in Florence were aimed at setting the stage for less of a hardline from European negotiators who seem eager to punish to Britain at least in part to dissuade other capitals from following in London's footsteps.
  [globaltimes.cn/Xinhua]
 23/9/17