German MPs say no special treatment for UK if it leaves EU

Two lawmakers from German Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservatives party say UK should not get any special treatment if it leaves the bloc.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel sits next to Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere as they attend a meeting of Germany's Joint Terrorism Defense Center GATZ (Gemeinsames Terrorismusabwehrzentrum) in Berlin, Germany on April 26, 2016.
TRT World and Agencies

German Chancellor Angela Merkel sits next to Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere as they attend a meeting of Germany's Joint Terrorism Defense Center GATZ (Gemeinsames Terrorismusabwehrzentrum) in Berlin, Germany on April 26, 2016.

Britain should not get special treatment from the European Union if it leaves the bloc and negotiating bilateral economic agreements will be tough, two senior lawmakers in German Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservatives party said on Tuesday.

"Rules will be without doubt set for the internal European market. Discussions among leaders will take place as usual and Britain will not be there," Michael Grosse-Broemer, deputy floor leader of Merkel's Christian Democrats (CDU) told journalists during a briefing.

"To me, it is clear: exit means exit. Citizens have to know that with this decision there will be no special treatment for Britain," said Gerda Hasselfeldt, parliamentary group head of the Christian Social Union (CSU), Merkel's Bavarian allies.

Reuters

US President Barrack Obama takes part in a Town Hall meeting at Lindley Hall in London, Britain on April 23, 2016.

On Sunday, United States President Barack Obama said he hoped he would be able to influence some British voters' decisions at a June 23 referendum on Britain's membership of the European Union, speaking after making a series of pro-EU interventions during a trip to London.

Obama also stated that the trade deal between Britain and the US could take five to 10 years to negotiate if Britain votes to leave the European Union.

Obama's intervention over EU membership was welcomed by Prime Minister David Cameron but it was not immediately clear how far British voters will hear or heed Obama's caution over the consequences of leaving the EU.

Opinion polls suggest that "In" is ahead, but the race is tight and the number of undecided voters is very high.

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