EU leaders offer short delay for Brexit
European Union leaders gathered again on Friday after deciding that the political crisis in the United Kingdom over Brexit poses too great a threat to the world’s biggest trading bloc, The Associated Press reported.
In a move that underlined their loss of confidence in British Prime Minister Theresa May, the leaders, set two deadlines for Britain to leave or to take an entirely new path in considering its EU future.
At marathon late-night talks, the leaders rejected May’s request to extend the Brexit deadline from March 29 — just one week away — until June 30.
They agreed to delay only until May 22, on the eve of EU elections, if she can persuade Britain’s Parliament to endorse the Brexit deal. Failing that, May would have until April 12 to choose a new path, AP said.
The outcome, with which May declared herself satisfied, was that the May 22 date will apply if Parliament rallies behind her next week. If it does not, Britain will have until April 12 to offer a new plan or choose to quit without a treaty, Reuters said.
That date corresponds to the six weeks’ legal notice required for the EU election — which the bloc would insist Britain hold on May 23 if it remains a member. If it does not hold the election, leaders said, the very last date Britain must leave would be June 30, before the new EU parliament convenes.
Until April 12, said summit chair Donald Tusk, “all options will remain open and the cliff-edge date will be delayed”.
“The UK government will still have a choice between a deal, no deal, a long extension or revoking Article 50 (the withdrawal notice),” he told a news conference.
If Britain decides by April 12 against holding the EU election, it could then leave the EU without a deal at any time up to May 22.
May said she would not cancel Brexit or seek a long delay that would mean asking people to vote in EU elections three years after voting to leave. She insisted she could secure a deal next week.
Many in London doubt that, not least after she offended many lawmakers on Wednesday by publicly blaming them for the deadlock. May tried to soften those remarks somewhat on Thursday, Reuters reported.
“What this decision tonight does is show the clear choice that is open to MPs,” she said. “I think the choice is clear for people.”
But May’s stated belief in her strategy of a third vote did not communicate itself to the summit table.
“It did not go well,” said one EU official familiar with the talks. “They basically realized that she doesn’t really believe it herself. They don’t want to be seen to be forcing the Brits out now. But they are looking for ways to end the agony.”