In order to get the green light for the agreement with the EU from the London Parliament, thus avoiding an uncontrolled Brexit, the British premier Theresa May he decided to play the last card at his disposal, offering his resignation in exchange. “I am prepared to leave office early to ensure an orderly Brexit“, announced the number one of Downing Street, who for months has been resisting a rain of attacks, not only by the Labor opposition, but also by a dissident slice of the conservative majority. The turning point came after May's meeting with Tory MPs gathered in the 1922 Committee, the seat of every conspiracy of the oldest British party.
May would leave, possibly in the fall, leaving the management of phase two of Brexit to another conservative exponent. The race for the succession has already begun and the favorite seems to be the former mayor of London, Boris Johnson, one of the most fervent supporters of Brexit in the ranks of the Conservative Party.
Finally, on Wednesday the House of Commons has rejected all eight parliamentary proposals for a plan B on Brexit alternatives to the divorce agreement reached by Tory Prime Minister Theresa May with the EU and then not ratified in Westminster on two subsequent occasions. Among these, the proposal of a referendum bis obtained 268 votes in favor and 295 against, the one in favor of stay in the customs union 264 yes and 272 no.
Meanwhile, it seems that another queen of European politics – much longer-lived than May – is preparing the ground for a step backwards. This is the German chancellor Angela Merkel, head of the German government without interruption since 22 November 2005. At the end of the year, Merkel could leave the international scene and the leadership of Germany. Her natural heir would be Annegret Kramp-Karrembauer, the 56-year-old who was elected to the presidency of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) last December.
Known for opposing same-sex marriage but also for being a strong advocate for workers' rights, Kramp-Karrembauer has tougher positions than Merkel on immigration, yet she supported the chancellor's decision to keep borders open in 2015.
