i thought it was very interesting. how he was playing the backstop particularly the issue of having alternative arrangements in place instead of having an irish stop he said categorically picks up a in one of those questions that the that the u.k. would not put in any infrastructure which would be considered a hard border between the island of ireland and northern ireland and then angle americal was also a similar thing and she. of course couldn't answer that straight because that continents about because this whole area has not yet been agreed. and said you know the problem here is that you've got 2 positions of breck's it and this good friday agreement and those 2 kind of clash and they have to come to a solution but she's clearly open to a solution and made that very clear to boris johnson but also on the issue made it

clear that europe's position is ireland's position so i made it a but also you know boris johnson almost saying we're not going to bring back a hard order it will be europe it's useful that the ones who are doing this not us let's hear some of what mr johnson had to say over the last 15 minutes or so. yes of course i think there is ample scope to do a deal and be sprained i think pretty clearly what needs to happen we need to remove those elements of the of the withdrawal agreement that simply don't work for the u.k. i've spoken of the things that i think sensible the protections of the rights of e.u. nationals be the backstop that particular arrangement which i do think has grave grave defects for a democratic country so every democratic country like the u.k. that plainly has to go but once we get rid of it if we can change it. then i think

there is the real prospect of making progress very rapidly so that's why. i think forest wising this issue that bedevils everyone boris johnson there talking very optimistically the chancellor merkel also talking optimistically about seeking a solution with the backstop is only there if we don't find a solution as you said well we'll all work very hard to find a solution even getting one perhaps within 30 days and see if she did. she mentioned that i thought you mentioned that in passing i mean everyone seems to be holding a to doing this in 30 days q think the program more progress can be made in the next 30 days than was made in the lab and has been made in the last 3 years since the brevity of what exactly is free is and it's not like the civil servants on both sides have not been working hard to try to find a solution boris johnson they're clearly saying that it was his predecessor to reason may's government to perhaps didn't look at this seriously enough but he was

asked when he's talking about you know what can replace the backstop why he keeps talking about these alternative arrangements most all of the alternative really wasn't very specific there was it was as if a nobody specific he just talked about some a report that's been done by one of his ministers pointed to that so he doesn't really know and that's just the problem great minds have been looking into this and so far they have not come up with a cost i in a way in which it will prevent or to prevent a backstop having to be there in the withdrawal agreement that is the issue. alex forrest whiting didn't do bracks it unless the thank you let's bring into the conversation that they don't use the chief political editor. who is there at the press conference in the german the chancery welcome michela what jumped out for you . although there really isn't any kind of movement on the essential issue it's

essentially a yes or no question will that leading deal that breaks a deal be reopened or not and fundamentally what we've heard from boris johnson is that simply the backstop has to go and angela merkel in fact restating what she said many times before that saw the backstop can be overcome simply by finding a solution to the northern irish who also is safeguarding the good friday agreement something britain itself course johnson himself has restated just yesterday when he sent that letter to donald tusk the e.u. council president who basically rebuffed him in a tweet saying well we need to see a constructive proposal on the table boris johnson was specifically asked about that and as you just discussed he wasn't very specific and what that solution could be saying something like there could be a technological solution to this well there's been a lot of debate how it could be done technically but to me the key issue seems to be political point scoring that's the bottom line will boris johnson be able to

move e.u. leaders to reopen the green meant he still says yes and angela merkel and the e.u. brussels still says no. approach to these talks obviously she's she's hosting the british prime minister so she's not going to turn around and slap him in the face but she's she's been very open very diplomatic very always talking about the fact that she's open to be persuaded she's open to hearing we're hearing very different things from friends who are who are saying that they are preparing now for a no deal. when there can be no change from the the withdraw agreement under merkel being much more open while holding her line. yes in fact i've been talking to advisors in the background in the past who said that in germany the patients and she endless when it comes to avoiding a heart breaks it from what we've heard out of paris from the french president in

monterrey mark or so far that patient simply isn't at home in paris he actually was against perspiring the bricks in the 1st place asking kind of what for you need to know what you for spoiling it for and this once again seems to be the question here . even we heard out of france today that potentially france would give person more time if it formed itself in a pre-election period because that is important context here that boris johnson has away for thin majority in parliament right now he may well be heading for snap elections in the u.k. and that would then of course unsettle the political game once again so more open questions and still no answer on will he actually be able to push e.u. leaders to reopen that exit that breaks that deal it still does look like it a good news for the chancellor though what the prime minister. talking to his declaration that the rights if you citizens already in the u.k.

are absolutely safe and will be maintaining. yes he made a point of trying to quell fears that this could hurt e.u. citizens a lot of german citizens also being there into a tricky situation i just want to add that while those debates were going on in the u.k. parliament when that breaks it actually failed to pass the parliament 3 times german parliament was actually busy putting measures in place to safeguard the rights of british citizens so no doubt you also heard it from the 2 leaders very lips today once again that both countries. share a close friendship share common values and also want to have very close ties in the future so a lot of contradictions here and stay with us. chief political correspondent as we hear some of what chancellor merkel had to say today.

backstop has always only been a last resort we don't need this last resort and we're saying we might find that agreement in the next 2 years but how much will find it in the next 30 days why shouldn't we know that would take a big step forwards and we have to pull all the stops out and make sure we manage to do it however this does work on the assumption that we have clarity about the future relations between. the u.k. . and i think this clarity is emerging. the chancellor appeared to suggest $38.00 maybe we'll do this in the next 30 days and they're after everybody seems to be taking that as some sort of deadline presumably berlin does not think that solving the backstop will be that easy. nobody thinks that it will be easy but we're simply not seeing any movement on

solving that right now and that's why this backstop issue is still on the table now if both sides with work to actually find a solution in the next 30 days that would actually potentially be a way out of this but still there is no workable proposal on the table from london and clearly brussels and berlin seen before in forrest gump's in court on that right now and what should we read into the fact that mr johnson's 1st foreign visit as prime minister is to germany. well recognition that he needs friends in europe no matter what kind of breaks that there will be i think it's also a point of him demonstrating that he is talking to everybody this could potentially he's also been accused actually by british commentators also politicians here that what he's doing is trying to make sure that he spreads the blame in berlin paris

and brussels for a potential hardbacks it which according to a leaked paper in britain would put britain in a very difficult spot there was talk also medical sources even of food supply problems and that that's that could already be part of his campaigning there so a lot of question marks over what his actual motivation is right now as he is heading into an uncertain future here in germany there seems to be a mixture of fascination and almost disgust actually amongst many political actors here on what is going on in britain that this prime minister could potentially actually risk what is seen as a mess both for britain and for the e.u. but most of all for london and briefly clearly bracks it is an issue that is consuming enormous amounts of political band with in the u.k. how big an issue is this in germany. it's

seen as a problem but it's not seen as a crisis if that happens. in berlin succinct as ever thank you so much final word to you alex whiting. what has boris johnson got from this at this stage. so people that. could kill the. very strong that they will leave the u.k. leaving the such 1st of october but also that he is prepared to negotiate in some way as long as the box office for me and that is the problem that we keep coming back to the irish boxer. forest watching thank you so much for your insights you are not going to do company over the last hour or so for us watching the state of the. list just a reminder of our top story this story british prime minister boris johnson in

belgrade for talks with german chancellor and. press the chancellor to help in bringing go shoot a breakfast deal to get you to scrap blocks current process before the hall porter in files before sitting down to the game but the facts don't have to go to the chancellor said that he would speak with one voice on the question of the.

house if you know. where i come from or that you just go just like this chinese for good measure where i am reminds me of home. after decades of living in germany china has floated as one of the things i missed the most but that taking a step back i see things a little different terminologies many of ford's press as an articulation that exists as a part of the wall that haven't been implemented in china that's why you've got to challenge people wondering if they're for to save lives but if you go about i would love to see that it is this is the job up just under the my how i see it and at the supply enough my job because i tried to do it exactly it is an hour a day light name of the names who i was added up to.

2 s.o.s. europe. is impressive. if it's to have a future champions young champions. meet similar activity from smaller countries. they are fighting for the dream of a united europe. stand a chance. and they saved a good deal. most of my money to stand up for european venemous and contribute to something important to come the shia led. as europe starts september 2nd on d w.

play. this is due the. prime minister in the capital to challenge the. deadline for departure from the european union approaches. to scrap its path.