Germany is preparing for a potential hard Brexit says German foreign minister

Foreign Minister Heiko Maas speaking in an interview with the country's press (Bild)

• preparing for a potential hard Brexit
• to mitigate the negative impact on firms

Maas has been on other German media outlets over the weekend with similar messages, so this is not surpassing news on his views

On ZDF television (via Reuters)

• On May's negotiations with the Irish government, … unclear how it would work. "We have to negotiate and also agree a withdrawal agreement with Britain. It is a bit of a mystery to me what the British government wants to negotiate with Dublin or what sort of an additional agreement it should be,"
• "It won't have any effect on what was agreed with the (European) Commission."