What Europe thinks about Britain’s EU deal

GERMANY: Chancellor Angela Merkel, Europe’s most powerful leader, wants to keep Britain in EU, but freedom of movement is non-negotiable. Germany would likely profit from rules allowing UK to curb welfare tourism

POLAND: President Andrzej Duda opposes UK’s so-called emergency brake – four-year limit to in-work benefits for EU migrants. 700,000 Poles now live in Britain – they are second largest foreign-born group in UK, after Indians

NETHERLANDS: Wants to keep UK in EU. Shares Britain’s vision of more competitive EU and cooperation with U.S. and Canada. Key concerns include welfare tourism and undercutting of local wages by EU migrants. Prime Minister Mark Rutte, current rotating president of EU, could play critical role in brokering any agreement

FRANCE: Brexit would be triumph for Front National leader Marine Le Pen, boosting hardline anti-immigrant, anti-EU forces. Club Med – France, Italy and Spain – Èwould form three biggest EU states after Germany

DENMARK: Prime Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen broadly supports UK’s proposed cut to migrants’ child benefits payments, restricting freedom of movement.
Wants to adopt Britain’s emergency brake policy

BRUSSELS: EU Council chief Donald Tusk fears Brexit will be disaster for both Britain and EU

IRELAND: Exposure of Irish economy to UK means Brexit would have massive impact

SWEDEN: Opposes UK’s demands. Practises most generous immigration policies

Source: News reports

Pictures: Associated Press