22. März 2019
BREXIT News
BREXIT and the ambiguous outcome of the EU summit in Brussels on March 21, 2019
There are only 8 days left until the initially planned exit of the UK from the EU on March 29, 2019.
At the EU Summit in Brussels on Thursday, March 21, 2019, Great Britain and EU leaders discussed during the late afternoon and night whether and how to approve a request to delay the Brexit process submitted by British Prime Minister Theresa May.
British Prime Minister Theresa May called for a shift of the Brexit until the end of June.
EU leaders initially announced that, according to a draft Summit Declaration, they would agree to a postponement until May 22, 2019.
However, this only under one principle condition, which has been suggested by EU Council President Donald Tusk: The UK parliament (British House of Commons) must accept the withdrawal agreement, already rejected twice, in the coming week. In addition, all EU27 countries must agree in detail to this postponement proposal. Otherwise, there is no basis for a delay of the Brexit.
Crucially, EU leaders discussed the possibility of dropping the suggestion by Tusk that any extension be conditional on the UK Parliament approving of May's withdrawal deal.
It also seems that European elections in May - and the April 11 deadline for Britain to declare whether it will be taking part in them - have been a complicating factor in the talks.
If Theresa May should not reach a third vote on the withdrawal agreement next week, or if the withdrawal agreement is rejected again in such a third vote, Britain would have time to announce by April 12 the latest whether the UK will participate in the EU elections. Otherwise, and as already called by France's President Emanuel Macron, UK and EU will in any case come to a No-Deal Brexit.
Consequently, a no-deal Brexit is not taken off the table.
We can take from that ambiguous outcome of the EU council meeting last night that the BREXIT date seems to be shifted at least until April 12.
Provided that UK's parliament approves the withdrawal agreement in a third vote within next week, still assuming that, in contrast to the decision of March 18, the Speaker John Bercow now allows such third vote on the withdrawal agreement to take place at all, and/or declares until April 12, 2019 the latest that UK will participate in the EU elections, there is a political willingness of the EU leaders to accept a longer delay of BREXIT with uncertain end dates; actually, there were rumors yesterday night talking about May 22, 2019, December 31, 2019 and even December 31, 2020 as the new date for the BREXIT.
Otherwise, it seems for now that we will face a No-Deal Brexit on April 12, 2019.
We will continue to keep you informed.
