INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
European Union chiefs are so fed up of Brexit that when they clinched a new divorce deal with Prime Minister Boris Johnson this week they
did not want to entertain the need to delay Britain’s departure beyond Oct
31.
But once Britain sends a letter to seek an extension for the divorce - as now seems likely after Johnson’s failure to get the
agreement approved in parliament on Saturday - there is very little chance that the other 27 members states would refuse.
After a call
between Johnson and European Council President Donald Tusk on Saturday evening, an EU official made clear, however, that the bloc would not
rush.
“The prime minister confirmed that the letter would be sent to Tusk today,” the official said
“Tusk will on that basis start consulting EU leaders on how to react
This may take a few days.”
An EU diplomat reinforced that message: “We won’t be rushed by any request.”
The bloc hopes the deal can
still pass in the factious House of Commons in time to let Britain leave with a deal on Oct
31.
The EU would, however, need to step in should that start looking unlikely if it wants to avoid a no-deal Brexit at the end of the
month.
“I can’t see them refusing,” Anand Menon, director of UK in a Changing Europe and a Brexit expert, told Reuters
“They don’t want no deal and they certainly don’t want to be blamed for it.”
EU leaders might end up agreeing any new Brexit date at
a hastily convened emergency summit, possibly next weekend
Their ambassadors are due to meet in Brussels on Sunday morning.
Britain’s parliament voted in favour on Saturday of an amendment that
withheld support for Johnson’s Brexit deal and as a result he is obliged, by law, to request a postponement.
The EU 27 have already agreed
twice to postpone Brexit from the original deadline of March 29 this year.
FRUSTRATION IN BRUSSELSHowever, frustration has mounted among
them over the distraction of a process that has dragged on for three-and-a-half years since Britons voted in a referendum to leave the
EU.
After the second extension they said it would be the last one, and French President Emmanuel Macron has been the most outspoken and
hawkish among the 27’s leaders on the issue.
is camp stresses the cost of protracted uncertainty in terms of sapping the EU’s political
capital and attention to face challenges from climate and migration to international crises, as well as economic cost for companies that
have invested in contingency preparations for a no-deal Brexit.
Despite French misgivings, the EU has repeatedly made clear it would not
want to be seen pushing a member state out and that its absolute priority was to avoid any no-deal Brexit, especially one for which it would
take the blame if it refused to postpone Brexit.
However, an extension can only be granted by unanimity among the 27 and, asked whether
there was any serious risk that Macron could refuse it, another EU official said: “No.”
“If there is a chance of a deal, they will
never choose no deal,” said Nick Petre, spokesman for the Renew Europe group of liberals in the European Parliament that includes
Macron.
A ONE-MONTH DELAY?Britain’s House of Commons last month passed a law demanding the government seek a delay until the end of
January 2020 to avoid an abrupt split on Oct
31, if a divorce deal is not approved by parliament by Oct
19.
It is possible that the EU 27 will grant a “technical extension” of just one month until the end of November to keep pressure on
Britain to approve the deal clinched this week.
“It can still just be a technical extension, only until the end of November
And they could still get out of it if they manage to pass it before October 31,” said an EU diplomat who deals with Brexit.
Another EU
diplomat said the length of an extension and conditions attached would depend on the purpose behind the request.
“If we still hope to be
able to salvage this deal, we’d be looking at shorter ones,” the diplomat said
“Then, if we are looking at elections or second referendums, a longer one would most likely be needed
At this stage, it really depends on what happens in Britain in the coming hours.”
Many in Brussels believe there could be no more delays
beyond mid-2020 as the bloc needs the rest of the year to prepare its new, long-term budget from 2021 and wants to know whether Britain will
go on paying to the joint coffers.