United Kingdom and Gibraltar European Union membership referendum
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With his recent Brexit maneuver, Britain's PM Boris Johnson plunged the country into a constitutional crisis. For nearly five weeks, Parliament is supposed to pause forcibly according to Johnson's will.
It's about the basics: demonstrators in front of the Parliament building in London show signs with slogans like "Stop Boris! Stop Brexit!" Or: "Save our democracy".
This would leave the pro-European MPs in the lower house with little time to prevent an unregulated Brexit without a withdrawal agreement. If nobody does anything about it, the British fly out of the EU on 31 October. And Johnson has made it clear he does not even think about doing anything about it. Even though he declared that he would intensify the talks with Brussels once again. Whether with or without a deal, the main thing - this is ultimately his motto.
In the opposition, but also in parts of Johnson's Tory party, now hectic has broken out. On 3 September, the parliament comes together again for the first time after the summer break. The anger is great, the goal is clear: the prime minister should be stopped. But one thing is still open: how should that actually go? Three options.
Variant A: lawsuits in court
Johnson uses a quite common procedure to put the MPs down: The Queen should end the current session and open a new one. However, it is absolutely unusual that this is done against the wishes of the Members and in a politically decisive phase. And: The scheduled break between the two sessions is unusually long.
Opposition politicians and activists now want to take legal action. A Scottish court refused an injunction on Friday. The hearing was scheduled for next Tuesday. A similar lawsuit is ongoing in Belfast.
Kirsty Wigglesworth / AP
Activist Gina Miller: Ever challenged the government
In London, real political celebrities go to court: The fund manager Gina Miller had brought in 2016 the government of Theresa May a bitter defeat. In a process she prevailed at that time that the deputies had to agree before London was allowed to apply for the EU withdrawal officially. Now Miller wants to stop Johnson by court order. She receives support from ex-Tory Prime Minister John Major.
However, the prospects of all these initiatives are uncertain. Especially as the government is unlikely to accept a legal defeat at first instance.
Variant B: Brexit stop by law
Actually, that was the plan anyway: the opposition wanted to prevent a hard Brexit by a parliamentary resolution. The idea: A law should force the government to apply for a deferral of the Brexit appointment in Brussels, should no withdrawal agreement be concluded in time.
But there is now less and less room for maneuver. At the end of a session, all legislative procedures must be completed. In other words, if the Johnson critics want to be successful before the compulsory break, they must whip their initiative through the parliament at breakneck speed. Otherwise, they will return to zero in mid-October when MEPs come together again.
AFP
"Stop Boris": Protesters in London
Nevertheless, the opponents of a hard Brexit apparently want to continue trying this way. Labor leader Jeremy Corbyn announced an initiative in parliament this coming Tuesday. An emergency debate could give MPs the opportunity to take control of the House of Commons agenda - a prerequisite for the uprising. For in the UK, the government actually determines which laws and proposals are being discussed.
As the "Telegraph" reports, Oliver Letwin, a proeuropean in the ranks of the Tories, has already contacted lower house spokesman John Bercow on the matter. The government is already working on its people in the upper house. The members there are to hold possible laws against a "no-deal" Brexit by talking so long until it is too late.
Variant C: overthrow of the government
A vote of no confidence against the government would be the last stage of escalation. So far, the opposition is gracing. Although Johnson has in the lower house only a majority of one vote. But there are also some Brexit hardliners on the Labor banks, who would probably vote for the Tory prime minister in case of doubt so as not to jeopardize the EU's exit.
And yet, in the end, the Proeuropeans could not help but withdraw Johnson's trust. If his government loses such a vote, 14 days remain to form a new leadership. Labor leader Jeremy Corbyn has announced that in this case, he will head a transitional government as the prime minister, halting Brexit and launching new elections.
Henry Nicholls / REUTERS
Jeremy Corbyn: Transitional premier?
Although it was hardly conceivable that representatives of other parties choose the old left Corbyn - but in times of need comes movement in the matter. For example, Ken Clarke, one of the Tory's most vocal Brexit opponents, said he would "possibly" support Corbyn to prevent the EU from leaving the EU.
It is quite possible that Premier Johnson would try to torpedo the formation of another government. But one way or another: New elections seem inevitable. If no new government comes into existence after a successful vote of no confidence, the people must automatically decide. Johnson, on the other hand, has an interest in creating a clearer parliamentary framework in the face of the deadlock. The only question is: before or after 31st October?
