Merkel acknowledges UK exit from EU possible: reportNovember 3, 2014 - 08:48 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - German Chancellor Angela Merkel would rather see the UK exit from the European Union than compromise over the principle of free movement of workers, the German magazine Der Spiegel reported, according to BBC News. Merkel is alleged to fear that the UK is approaching a "point of no return". Downing Street would not comment on the reports. Cameron wants to renegotiate the terms of the UK's continued membership before holding an in-out referendum. The Prime Minister said that freedom of movement would be "at the very heart of my renegotiation strategy for Europe", but Merkel is said by the magazine to have made clear she will withdraw her support for the UK's continued EU membership if he continues to push for migration reform. This is the first time that Merkel has acknowledged that the UK's exit from the EU is possible, Der Spiegel said. According to the Sunday Times, Germany has already rejected a proposal to impose quotas on low-skilled EU migrants by limiting the national insurance numbers issued to them. Der Spiegel reported that Cameron was now looking at a plan to stretch the EU rules "to their limits" in order to ban migrants who do not have a job, and to deport those who are unable to support themselves after three months. On Sunday, Conservative MP and former justice secretary Kenneth Clarke defended EU migration. "If you're going to have a sensible single market, if we want to compete with the Americans and the Chinese and so on and modern world, we need the free movement of labor," he told BBC's Sunday Politics. A Downing Street spokesman said Cameron would make a speech on immigration before Christmas, and stressed "you can be sure he will always put Britain first." Top stories Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". The earthquake caused a temporary blackout, damaged many buildings and closed a number of rural roads. Partner news | Government reveals details from Pashinyan’s meeting in border village Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has met with a group of residents of a border village in Armenia’s northern Tavush province Narek Manasyan wins European Boxing Championships silver for Armenia Armenia’s Narek Manasyan (92kg) won Armenia’s second silver medal at the European Boxing Championships 2024 on April 28. Blinken urges Azerbaijan to continue negotiations with Armenia Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken has urged Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev to continue negotiations with Armenia. Pashinyan, Blinken talk Armenia-U.S. ties over the phone Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan had a phone conversation with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on April 28, Pashinyan’s office reports. |