EU leaders split over another Brexit extension
‘I do not think we shall grant any further delay. It is now time to put an end to these negotiations’
EUROPEAN Union leaders were divided yesterday over whether to offer Britain a Brexit extension if MPS vote down Boris Johnson’s newly minted deal with Brussels today.
Emmanuel Macron, Jean-claude Juncker and Xavier Bettel, of Luxembourg, warned that if the Commons rejected the agreement struck on Thursday, Britain would face a no-deal Brexit on the Oct 31 deadline.
But Angela Merkel, Leo Varadkar, the prime minister of Ireland, and Donald Tusk, the president of the European Council, said the EU would consider a request to delay Brexit. Mr Varadkar said Dublin would support an extension but other EU countries might not.
Mr Macron, the French president, said: “I’m not trying to read in the future, but I do not think we shall grant any further delay. It is now time to put an end to these negotiations.”
Mr Bettel, the Luxembourg prime minister, said yesterday: “There is no choice between Brexit or no Brexit. It’s a choice between deal or no deal.”
Mrs Merkel told EU leaders that the bloc should delay the deadline, rather than allow a no-deal Brexit, in behind-closed-door discussions at the European Council summit in Brussels on Thursday.
She told Mr Johnson not to tell British MPS that EU leaders had ruled out an extension during the two-day summit, where EU leaders gave political backing to the Brexit agreement.
Mrs Merkel addressed leaders after Mr Johnson presented the new Brexit agreement in a 25-minute discussion, where he fielded six questions over whether the deal would be backed. The Prime Minister told them he was “convinced” it would pass.
Any request for a Brexit extension must be made by the British Government and unanimously approved by the EU27.
Mr Varadkar said Dublin would be open to an extension request rather than face a damaging no-deal Brexit. “I don’t think any MP voting tomorrow should make the assumption there would be unanimity for an extension,” he said. Mr Tusk, the European Council president, said the EU27 would be consulted on any request.
Mr Juncker, the president of the European Commission, said on Thursday that there would be no extension if the Commons rejected the new Brexit deal, but EU diplomatic sources said that was extremely unlikely.
“If we have a deal, we have a deal and there is no need for prolongation,” he said.
“That is not only the British view, that is my view too.”
Asked what would happen if MPS voted down the deal, Mr Juncker said the EU and UK would then be “in an extremely complicated situation”.
The summit also exposed divisions between Mrs Merkel and Mr Macron, the EU’S two most influential leaders, over whether to open negotiations with Albania and North Macedonia over joining the EU.
France has refused to give the green light to accession talks, despite North Macedonia resolving its long-running name dispute with Greece with a divisive referendum. The EU had promised to begin the lengthy talks as a reward
Mr Macron said that the EU had to reform before admitting new members but his stance infuriated the German chancellor and the Commission president. “This is a grave historic mistake – a grave historic mistake,” Mr Juncker said, speaking in French. “If we want to be respected, we have to keep our promises.”
Mr Tusk said an “overwhelming majority” of EU leaders were in favour of beginning the process. “Please do not give up,” he said to the two countries at a press conference.
Mark Rutte, the Dutch prime minister, revealed that Mr Johnson took part in the debate over enlarging the EU. His intervention was described as both “entertaining” and “strategic”.
It is understood Mr Johnson argued in favour of admitting the two Western Balkans countries, despite Britain leaving the bloc.
Britain has long viewed EU membership for Western Balkan countries to be a counterweight to Russian influence in the region and a way of guaranteeing long-term peace.