Yet another twist on Brexit. British Prime Minister Theresa May asks the European Council to postpone the United Kingdom's exit from the European Union to 30 June. However, it was the President of the Commission, Jean Claude Juncker, who answered in a letter, anticipated to May via a telephone call, who gave an answer that the Prime Minister did not expect: the extension cannot exceed 23 May. The reason is obvious: European elections will be held at the end of May and if a later date for Brexit is set, the British will be called to the polls.
Speaking in the House of Commons, May announced: 'Brexit must be done as the British people have asked us to do and so, as my deal was rejected last week, I will ask European Council President Donald Tusk an extension until 30 June to get the plan through the House of Commons and complete all necessary legislation passage in time”.
During the aforementioned phone call to May, Juncker “formally warned her against including a postponement date after the European elections. The divorce must be before May 23, otherwise there will be institutional difficulties and legal uncertainty. In the event of an extension beyond May 23, the United Kingdom will have to organize elections”. This was explained by the European Commission Margaritis Schinas.
In an internal report of the European executive viewed by Reuters, Brussels leaves a second opening. If the UK needs more time to agree on Brexit, a postponement until 31 December 2019 could be granted.
Should London choose the second option, Britain should "in a spirit of sincere cooperation" commit to "constructive abstention" on crucial issues such as the EU's long-term budget and the appointment of key post-election posts of May. The European Council which will open tomorrow, 21 March, is therefore starting uphill.
To date, May has always stated that she is strongly against a long Brexit delay, at the same time defining the participation of the United Kingdom in the European elections as unacceptable.
In the meantime, the British premier is also trying to move on the domestic front, trying to restore the agreement with the EU in parliament despite the No of its president, John Bercov.
The procedures for a new vote, he said, “cannot be completed before March 29th. For this reason I am writing to inform the European Council that the United Kingdom is requesting an extension". We recall that, if a solution is not found by 29 March, the United Kingdom will leave the Union without an agreement, with very serious consequences both for London and for the other EU states. Italy included.
