The EU Parliament's chief Brexit negotiator is taking the fight to Theresa May
Guy Verhofstadt, a staunch federalist and long-time opponent of Britain leaving the 28-nation bloc, posted a series of tweets on Tuesday evening suggesting that he has no intention of letting May have her way when exit talks get underway.
The UK prime minister told an audience of foreign diplomats and ambassadors that Britain would remain a "best friend" to the continent but warned that her government would walk from negotiations if its demands aren't met.
In response, the former Belgian prime minister said that the clarity of May's speech was "welcome" but condemned numerous aspects of her speech, including the suggestion that she is ready to turn Britain into a deregulated tax haven if it fails to secure significant access to the single market after leaving the 28-nation bloc.
Verhofstadt tweeted:
Verhofstadt was chosen by the EU Parliament to represent the 751-member strong body in divorce talks with Britain. He is a famously vocal Europhile who has warned Britain on numerous occasions that it will not be able to "cherry-pick" a Brexit deal. He has accused Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson of dishonesty and Trade Secretary Liam Fox of lacking a basic understanding of the EU. He also has a difficult relationship with Nigel Farage, who described Verhofstadt as a "fanatic" and an "EU nationalist" in a speech to the EU Parliament in September.
He told Business Insider in November that he would prioritise the interests of the Union and its citizens in negotiations, but also look to protect the interests of the 48% of Brits who voted Remain. He hinted before Christmas that Britain's who want to stay in the EU could be offered the chance to apply for EU citizenship after Brexit.
Asked about Verhofstadt's fiery remarks on Wednesday morning, Brexit minister David Davis told BBC Radio 4: "A more important person than Guy Verhofstadt is Donald Tusk and he said the speech was realistic... Guy is one player of several."