'We’re going to parliament!' Riled-up Juncker snubs reporter over PM's election shock
PRESIDENT of the EU Commission Jean-Claude Juncker has remained tight-lipped on his stance on Theresa May’s shock election result as he scolded a news reporter.
Riled-up Juncker scolds reporter seeking reaction to UK election
The Luxembourgish politician refused to answer Sky News’ Mark Stone’s attempts to get a response to the election fallout, with the Prime Minister now looking to secure a deal with the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) after losing her majority in the House of Commons.
In the clip, the journalist is in pursuit of Mr Juncker and asks: “Can I just get your thoughts on the problems in Westminster?”
The Eurocrat then gestures to the journalist in a bid to stop the questioning.
But he asks again: “How impatient are you getting sir? Are you going to give us a couple of words?”
Jean-Claude Juncker snubbed the reporter's question on Theresa May
Juncker: I hope Britain will stay ‘open’ to Brexit negotiations
We have no thoughts
Someone then snaps back and says: “On what? We’re going to parliament.”
It is unclear whether it is Mr Juncker or his spokesman Margaritis Schinas who makes the swipe.
Mr Juncker’s head of cabinet Martin Selmayr is then probed and he insists “we have no thoughts” on the election result.
The clip comes after the Mrs May was reportedly urged to hold the General Election by Mr Juncker to make negotiating Brexit easier.
Theresa May and Jean-Claude Juncker after their meeting earlier this year
He allegedly advised the Prime Minister that her 17-seat majority would not be enough during exit talks.
Mr Juncker is thought to have claimed a larger majority would help Ms May during “pinch points”, such as establishing the sum of the UK’s divorce bill.
But it seems Mr Juncker’s advice has now served to put Mrs May on a weaker footing as negotiations approach, as she faces calls to resign.
A European Union source claimed: “During bilaterals, in the margins of summits, Juncker repeatedly told her he thought she should do it.”
A second diplomat told the Observer: “People don’t understand. We want a deal more than anyone. We are professionals, we have a mandate to get a deal and we want to be successful in that.”