Parlez-vous Brexit? EU negotiator wants Brits to talk French

The European Union’s lead Brexit negotiator would like British and EU officials to work in French rather than English during the divorce talks, an EU official familiar with Brussels’ Brexit task force told Reuters on Friday.

After the report caused waves during British Prime Minister Theresa May’s first EU summit in Brussels, Michel Barnier took to Twitter to deny – in English – having expressed such a view. However, he noted that language rules would be agreed by negotiators only once May launches the formal Brexit process next year.

The source told Reuters that people working with the former French foreign minister understood he would prefer his native tongue. “Barnier wants French to be the working language in Brexit negotiations with Britain,” the EU official said …. http://uk.reuters.com