EU leaders prepare to offer deal

BRUSSELS: EU leaders gathered yesterday to make a formal offer of a Brexit package deal to British Prime Minister Theresa May that she and they hope can survive fury in the British Parliament to ease Britain out of the bloc in March.

After 18 months of negotiation, including some lastminute brinkmanship from Spain seeking guarantees of a role in the future of Gibraltar, the 27 national leaders will endorse terms for withdrawal and an outline of future EUUK ties at a tightly choreographed summit that will conclude with a visit from May.

The biggest question now facing the EU is whether May’s divided minority government can steer the deal, which foresees London following many EU rules to keep easy trade access, through fierce resistance in Parliament in the coming weeks from both supporters and opponents of Brexit.

Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite, among the first to arrive, refused to be drawn on what might happen if the deal failed, saying it was up to British lawmakers to decide.

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte praised May’s handling of the difficult negotiations and said he was confident she could see the deal through the London Parliament.

Saying the EU ‘‘hates’’ Brexit, Rutte said ‘‘nobody’s winning — we are all losing.’’

But the deal was an acceptable compromise for all that gave May a chance to clinch a solution.

Grybauskaite said there were at least four possible outcomes if the British Parliament blocks the package and named three — that Britons would hold a second referendum, hold a new election to replace May or return to Brussels to try to renegotiate the package. A fourth is that Britain would simply crash out of the bloc on March 29 without legal clarity.

Both sides have been making preparations for such a ‘‘no deal’’ scenario, though the EU insists Britain has more to lose.

Summit chairman Donald Tusk said ‘‘noone will have reasons to be happy’’ when Brexit was concluded but quoted British rock star Freddie Mercury of Queen, to say: ‘‘Friends will be friends right till the end.’’

The 27 EU national leaders will gather for an hour to formally endorse a detailed treaty setting out the terms on which Britain will leave in an orderly manner in March and a declaration outlining how Britain can keep close

to its biggest market by following many EU rules after a two to fouryear transition.

They will then meet May briefly.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez earlier threatened to boycott yesterday’s meeting if he did not get amendments to the deal to ensure Madrid got a say in Gibraltar’s future ties with the EU.

After officials wrangled through the night, he announced he had such written pledges.

The Democratic Unionist Party, whose votes from Northern Ireland have helped May govern since she lost her majority in a snap election last year, said it would try to block a Brexit deal it called ‘‘pitiful’’, partly because it binds London to many EU rules it will no longer help set and partly as the DUP fears it could weaken the province’s ties to Britain.

Noone knows what will happen if Parliament rejects May’s plan. — Reuters