European Parliament to approve UK’s ‘exit’
Lawmakers pack up
BRUSSELS, Jan 29, (AP): The European Parliament is set to overwhelmingly approve the departure of the United Kingdom from the European Union – the final major decision in the four-year Brexit saga.
With only two days to spare, the legislators will vote to approve the withdrawal agreement that will end the 47-year membership of Britain. At the same time, the vote will cut the 73 UK parliamentarians from the 751-seat legislature where die-hard Brexiteers have been a disruptive force for years while others steadfastly sought to build a more united Europe.
“We’ve achieved our goal,” said British member of the European Parliament Nigel Farage who has campaigned for Brexit for two decades, leaving with a smile and a sense of accomplishment.
Preliminary votes in committees have already shown that the exit should be approved by a massive margin.
For many though, the first departure of an EU member after the group had grown from an initial six to 28 remains a body blow.
”It’s an incredible sad and painful moment,” S&D socialist Tiemo Woelken said. “We’ll wait for your return to our European family.”
In a solemn moment, European Parliament President David Sassoli will thank the UK members for their cooperation from inside the EU. There still is a final session the British legislators can attend on Thursday, but then they have to vacate their offices.
Now, everything moves to negotiations on how to cooperate in the future. Britain seeks to have a full trade deal within the next 11 months and want a transitional period during which they will still abide by EU rules and regulations to be as short as possible.
The EU has said such a timespan is far too short to have any kind of comprehensive deal and fears remain that a chaotic exit, averted this week, might still happen at the end of the year if the transition ends without any agreement in place.
The United Kingdom is leaving the European Union – cardboard boxes and Union Jack socks and all.
With the Brexit moment set for Friday at midnight Brussels time (11 pm UK time) some UK legislators at the European Parliament in Brussels who have been fervent Brexit pushers were wasting no time getting ready to get out the door.
Ready
Lawmaker Nigel Farage’s office on Tuesday was a jumble of boxes and mementos ready to be packed and shipped. His favorite souvenir? A framed Economist cover with him, Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin marching to the big drums of populism.
“It’s not meant to be flattering, but in a sense, what it sums up is the great battle that’s going on,” Farage said in an interview with The Associated Press.
He was still wearing his Union Jack socks, ready for Wednesday’s plenary when the EU Parliament should overwhelmingly approve the Brexit withdrawal agreement, the last act needed before the UK leaves on Friday.
Downstairs in the parliamentary halls, some fans of the Brexit party, also dressed in British colors were posing among the flags of the member states, laughing and shouting at anyone wanting to hear how the EU was “a dictatorship.”
Yet for most of the parliament’s legislators and many of the departing British lawmakers, the EU remains one of the greatest experiments in peace-building and democracy following the devastation across Europe from World War II.
Among the British backers of the EU are members of the Greens party, who lit lights outside the European Parliament against the darkening sky, a symbolic “We’ll leave a light on” action in case British lawmakers ever do return to Brussels.
For a more official occasion, EU Parliament chief David Sassoli will bid the UK legislators a formal farewell during Wednesday’s plenary, where the Brexit vote will take place.
Even the UK’s representation offices will change their name and become the UK Mission to the European Union. For insiders, UKReps will become UKMis, and they will still be just as busy, since both Britain and the EU still need to figure their future relationship and trade deals. One thing is sure though. “We’re passing the point of no return,” said Farage. “We”re leaving. We’re never coming back.”