EU leaders refused to give ground to Britain's Theresa May on Thursday, warning that her Brexit plan is unacceptable, even as she offered to come up with new proposals for the Irish border.
EU Council President Donald Tusk and French President Emmanuel Macron tore into May's plan for economic ties with the EU after Brexit, saying it simply "will not work" and was "not acceptable."
German Chancellor Angela Merkel also said there was "a lot of work to do" before the bloc could agree a political declaration on trade, which Britain wants as part of the final Brexit divorce.
They were speaking after meeting without May at a summit in Salzburg, Austria to discuss their approach to the final stretch of negotiations ahead of Britain's withdrawal from the EU in March.
"We are today at the hour of truth," Macron said, saying the bloc's remaining 27 leaders expected "new British proposals in October."
London and Brussels had originally said they wanted an agreement by October's EU summit, but after months of stalled progress, Tusk suggested holding another one in November to clinch the agreement.
Heads of government and state of the EU gather for a meeting in Salzburg, Austria, Sept. 20, 2018. /VCG Photo
But he warned on Thursday that this would only work if progress can be made in the next four weeks.
"If we feel that we are able to finalize and formalize our deal in November, I will call this extraordinary meeting, but not as an emergency but as a punchline of effective negotiations before October and during our October EU council meeting," he said.
'Only proposal on the table'
Britain is preparing to leave the European Union without an agreement on the terms of its departure unless there is a proposal it deems acceptable, May said in a press conference after receiving briefing on Brexit talks from Tusk.
May said that she would only agree to a "backstop" proposal for the Irish border if it worked for the whole UK.
UK Prime Minister Theresa May addresses a press conference at the end of the EU Informal Summit of Heads of State or Government in Salzburg, Austria, Sept. 20, 2018. /VCG Photo
"If there is no agreement on a deal that is acceptable to the United Kingdom, then we're preparing for no deal," she said.
May also stressed her government will not accept a second referendum.
Backlash at home
Her plan for Britain to follow EU rules on trade in goods after Brexit has already sparked a backlash among euroskeptics at home.
Britain's former Brexit minister David Davis has said up to 40 lawmakers from May's party will vote against her plans to leave the EU.
Davis told Huffington Post there was a "rock-solid" core of party lawmakers who belonged to the European Research Group (ERG), a grouping which wants a sharper break with the EU and were willing to vote down her plans.
Britain's Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson (L), Britain's Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union (Brexit Minister) David Davis (C) and Britain's Defense Secretary Gavin Williamson leave 10 Downing Street after attending the weekly cabinet meeting, July 3, 2018. /VCG Photo
The three largest opposition parties, Labour, the Scottish National Party and Liberal Democrats, have all publicly said they will oppose the prime minister's plans.
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May's Brexit: Slow progress with EU, bigger obstacles at home
It means the prime minister may struggle to get her deal through parliament.
If 40 of May's 315 lawmakers and the opposition parties voted against a Brexit deal based on her proposals, she would fall short of the number needed to pass the legislation.
This would increase the likelihood that Britain would face leaving the EU without an agreement and of a general election or even a second referendum.