May gets two-week Brexit reprieve from impatient EU

[webfact]

May gets two-week Brexit reprieve from impatient EU

By Gabriela Baczynska and Elizabeth Piper

 

European Council President Donald Tusk and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker hold a joint news conference during a European Union (EU) leaders summit in Brussels, Belgium March 21, 2019. REUTERS/Eva Plevier

 

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - European Union leaders have given Prime Minister Theresa May two weeks' reprieve, until April 12, before Britain could lurch out of the EU if she fails to persuade lawmakers to back the withdrawal treaty she concluded with Brussels.

 

But after seven hours of summit brainstorming on Thursday, her 27 peers kept a host of options open, ramping up pressure on parliament to support May, giving Britain an outside chance of staying in for much longer - but also preparing to deflect blame for the chaos of any no-deal Brexit.

 

May had wanted to be able to delay Britain's departure until June 30 to tie up legislative loose ends, and tried to reassure the EU that she could overturn two heavy defeats to clinch a last-gasp parliamentary ratification of her deal next week, so allowing a status-quo transition period to come into effect.

 

EU leaders had planned to endorse a shorter extension, to May 22, the eve of EU parliamentary elections, and leave any discussion of how to deal with May losing until next week. But diplomats said the prime minister singularly failed to reassure them she could win. Some sensed she did not believe it herself.

 

After May left the room, and with French President Emmanuel Macron pitching a surprise ultimatum for Britain to be out, deal or no deal, by May 7 -- the eve of a summit on the EU's post-Brexit future -- the meeting plunged into frantic debate.

 

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.

 

That date corresponds to the six weeks' legal notice required for the EU election - which the Union 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.

 

"OPTIONS REMAIN OPEN"

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. She tried to soften those remarks somewhat on Thursday.

 

"What this decision tonight does is show the clear choice that is open to MPs," May 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 realised 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."

 

While some brinkmanship from Brussels may be part of a strategy to bounce reluctant British legislators into backing May, there is also a growing impatience that efforts to avoid a messy Brexit are bogging the EU down when it has other priorities, from a weakening economy to rising nationalism.

 

"WE HAVE BOUGHT TWO WEEKS"

Macron has led the charge, calling for Britain, long a thorn in France's plans for deeper European integration, to put up or shut up on Brexit. "We have come up with a response that protects our interests," he said.

 

"It is up to the British to sort out their own internal contradictions. As for us, we don't have any."

 

May's opponents at home range from hard-core Brexit supporters who say her deal gives the EU too much influence in Britain to others, inside and outside her own Conservative party, who would prefer to stay much closer to the EU or cancel Brexit.

 

Voicing the fears of business that a "no-deal" Brexit would hurt economies across the continent, German Chancellor Angela Merkel argued for caution, saying she would "work to the last minute" to avoid a disorderly departure.

 

By pushing the Brexit crunch towards Britain's April 12 deadline to declare its decision on holding an EU election, EU diplomats said, the leaders also dodged potential blame if they had simply allowed Britain to crash out next Friday.

 

"That way, Merkel and the rest of the EU can avoid blame for forcing the British out," one EU official said. "It will be up to the British themselves to say they are leaving with no deal."

 

The basic problems of Brexit remain, however. Britain could still crash out without a transition, disrupting business and souring relations before the sides sit down to negotiate a trade pact and decide how to manage their politically sensitive land border in Ireland.

 

"Today was a long seven hours that bought us two weeks," another EU diplomat said.

 

"It just lets us say with a clear conscience that we didn't throw them under the bus on March 29 ... But before April 12, we will face the very same questions as now."

 

(Reporting by Robin Emmott, Gabriela Baczynska, Elizabeth Piper, Richard Lough, Anthony Deutsch, Philip Blenkinsop, Giulia Paravicini, William James, Thomas Escritt, Jan Strupczewski, Andreas Rinke and Alastair Macdonald in Brussels and Guy Faulconbridge and Kylie MacLellan in London; Writing by Alastair Macdonald, Jan Strupczewski and Elizabeth Piper; Editing by Kevin Liffey)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2019-03-22

[BritManToo]

I thought they previously stated they need for a full vote before they could offer an extension.

Now they don't need that vote ............. what a surprise.

I predict the EU will give the UK extensions forever rather than back them into a leave corner.

[evadgib]

She has to be joking ☹️

 

[welovesundaysatspace]

20 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

I thought they previously stated they need for a full vote before they could offer an extension.

Now they don't need that vote ............. what a surprise.

I predict the EU will give the UK extensions forever rather than back them into a leave corner.

Why don’t you read the article first before posting nonsense?

[malagateddy]

Roll on NO DEAL

Sent from my SM-G7102 using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[ThaiBunny]

How UK politicians could ever have thought the EU would negotiate in good faith beats me - it was never in their interest to make it easy for EU members to leave

[BritManToo]

26 minutes ago, welovesundaysatspace said:

Why don’t you read the article first before posting nonsense?

I guess you think 'EU leaders' and a 'full vote' are the same thing.

You're probably right and just Germany and France should be considered a 'full vote'.

But isn't anyone still pretending the EU is some sort of democracy with all countries getting to vote?

[cleopatra2]

28 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

I guess you think 'EU leaders' and a 'full vote' are the same thing.

You're probably right and just Germany and France should be considered a 'full vote'.

But isn't anyone still pretending the EU is some sort of democracy with all countries getting to vote?

The requirements for extension is the European Council , and the withdrawing member state

[BritManToo]

1 minute ago, cleopatra2 said:

The requirements for extension is the European Council , and the withdrawing member state

The requirements for extension are whatever Germany say they are.

[welovesundaysatspace]

43 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

I guess you think 'EU leaders' and a 'full vote' are the same thing.

You're probably right and just Germany and France should be considered a 'full vote'.

But isn't anyone still pretending the EU is some sort of democracy with all countries getting to vote?

No gives a damn about what you think about us. How we govern and make decision is not your business.  You can join our club if you’re willing to commit, otherwise do your own little thing in Brexit Britain, whatever that is. 

[cleopatra2]

15 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

The requirements for extension are whatever Germany say they are.

Hey , if the answer scares you dont ask the question

[Basil B]

3 hours ago, BritManToo said:

I thought they previously stated they need for a full vote before they could offer an extension.

Now they don't need that vote ............. what a surprise.

I predict the EU will give the UK extensions forever rather than back them into a leave corner.

It is logical... 

I predicted that days ago, April 12th is the date which we will have to commit to holding EU elections, even if we agreed to hold EU elections there is no knowing if we will stay or go, if we were to hold elections and left then the EU would have to hold more elections to relocate the seats held by the UK.

[Basil B]

So we are going to have 3 more meaningfulless votes then???

[Baerboxer]

1 hour ago, welovesundaysatspace said:

No gives a damn about what you think about us. How we govern and make decision is not your business.  You can join our club if you’re willing to commit, otherwise do your own little thing in Brexit Britain, whatever that is. 

 

Who is the "we" you have appointed yourself to represent and make statements for?

[wombat]

so thats it then ..democracy has failed ?

[david555]

4 hours ago, ThaiBunny said:

How UK politicians could ever have thought the EU would negotiate in good faith beats me - it was never in their interest to make it easy for EU members to leave

Are you sure U.K. is leaving ….?

 

[dunroaming]

Rather than just cutting and pasting all their favourite quotes, maybe people should go back and read some of the actual campaign paraphernalia from the time.  It's not hard to find.  From both sides if you like.  We were all sold a pup, we were all lied to but it seems only some of us are angry about it.  There are (bizarrely) still some who think that Brexit will be a success.  

[Krataiboy]

And so it goes on. . . the longest running low-comedy farce since Brian Rix gave the Whitehall Theatre the elbow.

 

Sadly, nobody will still be laughing when the curtain finally falls.

[nontabury]

1 hour ago, wombat said:

so thats it then ..democracy has failed ?

 

 This is no surprise to many. At least it’s woken me and millions of other Brits, to the realization we no longer live in a Democracy, if we do not leave the E.u. by next week.

 

 

[malagateddy]

As a Brexiteer..I think positive..the fat lady is nowhere near the stage yet..plenty time b4 she sings

Sent from my SM-G7102 using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[dunroaming]

4 minutes ago, Krataiboy said:

And so it goes on. . . the longest running low-comedy farce since Brian Rix gave the Whitehall Theatre the elbow.

 

Sadly, nobody will still be laughing when the curtain finally falls.

Even Brian Rix with his trousers dropped to his ankles wouldn't raise a smile now.  (Both showing our age here!)

 

So two deadlines thanks to the EU being realistic about where we actually are now.  They don't want a no-deal exit either so they are cutting us some more slack. 

 

 

[dunroaming]

7 minutes ago, nontabury said:

 This is no surprise to many. At least it’s woken me and millions of other Brits, to the realization we no longer live in a Democracy, if we do not leave the E.u. by next week.

On the other hand if politicians stand by while we are thrown over the cliff edge next week then they aren't representing the people either.

 

It's all about the interpretation!

[luckyluke]

5 hours ago, BritManToo said:

The requirements for extension are whatever Germany say they are.

One of the primary reasons of the crash between the U.K. and the E.U., in my opinion. 

The U.K. still believing they are "special", can't accept they are not the paramount everywhere. 

[Krataiboy]

11 minutes ago, dunroaming said:

Even Brian Rix with his trousers dropped to his ankles wouldn't raise a smile now.  (Both showing our age here!)

 

So two deadlines thanks to the EU being realistic about where we actually are now.  They don't want a no-deal exit either so they are cutting us some more slack. 

 

 

In my view, it's ALL theatre, and has been since day one. If we leave, other than in name only, I'll eat my Brexit tee-shirt.

[baboon]

18 minutes ago, Benroon said:

Meaningful vote will be voted down 

 

April 12th choice of No Deal or Long Extension

 

There is no appetite anywhere for a no deal (apart from Uber rich basketcase politicians who won’t be affected and deluded Brexiteers) so long delay it is.

 

Brexit will be kicked into the long grass until 2021 minimum by which time we will have formed a further close alliance with the EU via a different name.

 

A street march ensues consisting of 14 angry people from Tunbridge Wells British Legion and everyone goes back to work.

 

Right - what’s next on the whinge list ? 

I hope you are right. However it doesn't take much stretching of the imagination to see Theresa May dragging us over the cliff out of sheer spite. Not voting for my deal? Screw you, then. I'll burn the place down on my way out...

[bomber]

6 hours ago, ThaiBunny said:

How UK politicians could ever have thought the EU would negotiate in good faith beats me - it was never in their interest to make it easy for EU members to leave

They have been a breath of fresh air unlike our sovereign failures..they are our masters forever..YIPPEE

[bomber]

5 hours ago, BritManToo said:

The requirements for extension are whatever Germany say they are.

Paranoia setting in again...

[CGW]

21 minutes ago, Krataiboy said:

In my view, it's ALL theatre, and has been since day one. If we leave, other than in name only, I'll eat my Brexit tee-shirt.

Those unelected highly paid EU "officials" would probably agree with you 

[bomber]

6 hours ago, malagateddy said:

Roll on NO DEAL

Sent from my SM-G7102 using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app
 

Not happening its mays deal or remain...surely its suk in now

[Jimbo1964]

2 weeks! What in 2 weeks will she achieve that she couldn't achieve in over 2 years. 
 

Her and Corbyn combined couldn't negotiate themselves out of a brown paper bag. Especially when they keep saying that a No Deal BreXit is off the table. Negotiation 101. Alway have a walk away plan! AKA BATNA