Brexit talks pushed back to DECEMBER as Angela Merkel holds up negotiations

German Chancellor Angela Merkel is vying to secure another term as the country goes to the polls at the end of September in a national election.

She will go up against former Eurocrat Martin Schulz – although polls suggest Ms Merkel’s CDU party is likely to win the vote.

The latest Emnid opinion poll, for Sunday’s Bild am Sonntag newspaper, put Mrs Merkel’s conservative bloc on 38 percent, 16 points ahead of the SPD on 24 per cent. 

But the elections have put the brakes on Brexit discussions – as cabinet ministers involved in negotiations have privately indicated that progress to the next phase of talks may now not happen until Christmas.

With the date for the UK’s departure from the EU fixed for March 2019 the clock is ticking to conclude discussions.

Negotiators were planning to hold a week of talks on a monthly basis.

Terms of reference agreed by both sides envisage four rounds of talks on the first phase of discussions, in the weeks starting July 17, August 28, September 18 and October 9, implying trade talks are unlikely to open until after the European Council summit of October 18/19.

The EU’s chief negotiator Mr Barnier said every issue is to be agreed “as soon as possible” with talks progressing to the future EU-UK relationship once the European Council agrees there has been “sufficient progress” in divorce talks.

It was thought the Council could agree at October’s summit of EU leaders. 

But Sky sources today revealed the talks could now be stalled until December, as Britain waits for Germany’s election on September 24.

Phase-one negotiations on money, citizens and Ireland had been pencilled in for October – the same month as the next EU summit.

But now government sources have indicated the challenge of agreeing a new German government would mean a “more formal” engagement from Berlin than was previously anticipated.