BRUSSELS – EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Wednesday she saw clear progress in the trade talks with the U.K., turning a post-Brexit deal from a fleeting possibility into an ever more realistic possibility.
Von der Leyen confirmed that the major problems had been reduced to just two — fair competition in the EU market and fishing rights for EU vessels in U.K.
waters. Even though she still spoke only of a “very narrow" path to a deal, she added that nontheless “I can tell you that there is a path to an agreement." It was still far more optimistic than previous comments coming from British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, and even any assessment of success over the past months.