France’s European Affairs Minister Nathalie Loiseau has warned that Eurostar trains heading from London to Paris may not be allowed into France in the event of a no-deal Brexit.
“If we do nothing, and if we reach no agreement, this is what would happen among other examples. We cannot wake up on March 30 and say to our fellow citizens and to our business: ‘Wow we thought it would never happen so we are not ready,'” she said, adding that planes from Britain could also be prevented from entering French airspace.
In this vein, she signaled France’s resistance to a blindfold Brexit, underscoring a “need for clarity and perspective for our fellow citizens and for our businesses” when it comes the UK’s withdrawal from the EU.
The spokesperson was echoed by a representative of the UK Department for Transport, who underscored the importance of maintaining “the existing liberal level of transport access” during the department’s upcoming talks with the EU.
As for Loiseau’s warning, it comes a week after a secret Treasury document reportedly admitted that there were questions about “rail access to the EU” if Britain crashes out of the EU without clinching a deal.