Cameron Tells EU leaders: I Will Talk About Reform Until Deal is Done

• 05.23.2015, 12:05
•  Europe

Cameron has warned fellow European leaders that he wants to get on with EU reform and will bring it up at every summit for the foreseeable future, while dismissing the objections of foreign politicians as “noise”, Telegraf reports.

But attending just one day of the Eastern Partnership Forum in Riga, he managed initial discussions with his counterparts from Sweden, Hungary and Latvia, as well as a brush-by with the prime minister of Poland, and a bear hug from the Bulgarian prime minister.

 Cameron said these were general conversations that just “scratched the surface” of his negotiations, but it was necessary to explain his desire for reforms given the UK will definitely be holding a referendum on its EU membership by the end of 2017 after the Conservatives’ general election win.

 Following these initial discussions, Cameron confirmed that he would be speaking to three of the most crucial players in his campaign for EU reform next week: the European commission president, Jean-Claude Juncker, the German chancellor, Angela Merkel, and the French president, François Hollande.

 In what looks like a concerted charm offensive, he will host Juncker at his country residence, Chequers, on Monday, before flying to Paris and Berlin later in the week. Downing Street will be hoping the meeting with Juncker provides a breakthrough even though Cameron fought hard against his appointment as commission president over fears he was too wedded to EU integration.

 Asked about the progress of negotiations, Cameron trod a careful line between playing down any expectations of a quick deal and warning other EU leaders that he was anxious to make a start.