This ruling is a signal beyond Britain: The London Supreme Court has declared the parliamentary forced break imposed by Prime Minister Boris Johnson unlawful - and lifted it with immediate effect. Parliament Speaker John Bercow has summoned MEPs to the next day's meeting this Wednesday.
In German politics, the verdict is taken with a mixture of relief, satisfaction and bewilderment over the behavior of the Johnson administration - and quite unanimously across party lines.
The chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee in the Bundestag, Norbert Röttgen, welcomed the verdict. The CDU politician spoke of "joy over the victory of parliamentary democracy against the abuse of the executive by the judiciary". The verdict from London is a "prime example of functioning democratic and constitutional review mechanisms," said Röttgen the SPIEGEL.
The Johnson administration was badly hit. "This speaks again for the fact that a solution of the question can be brought about only by a final decision of the people." Thus Röttgen spoke out for a new referendum in the UK.
Last chance for the "political charlatan"?
Ex- SPD chief Martin Schulz told the SPIEGEL that Johnson is a "cynical democrat of democracy, and if he has a spark of decency, he will resign now." The best thing would have been, he would never have lined up. "
"The verdict is a resounding slap in the face for Boris Johnson and a testament to the strength of the democratic rule of law in Britain," said Nils Schmid, spokesman on foreign affairs of the SPD confederation faction, the SPIEGEL. The Johnson administration must fully respect Parliament's rights to Brexit, including the decision to avoid Brexit without agreement. "This verdict is the last chance for Boris Johnson to change from a political charlatan to a responsible head of government."
Deputy SPD leader Achim Post said the ruling was a "historically unprecedented bang to protect British parliamentarism". For Johnson, there could only be a reasonable consequence - the resignation.
Greens chairman Annalena Baerbock wrote on Twitter that the Supreme Court has put a stop to Johnson. "Well, a prime minister can not undermine democratic principles because that's the way to go." Green Party leader Anton Hofreiter said: "It is never worthwhile for a government to try to overturn the parliament, and it is therefore good that other institutions now ensure that confidence in democracy, trust in the British state is restored."
Video: Supreme Court declares parliament forced break unlawful
REUTERS
"Good news from Great Britain" wrote FDP chief Christian Lindner on Twitter on the verdict. He renewed his demand that MPs should quickly resume work to prevent a Brexit without a withdrawal agreement. The foreign policy spokesman of the FDP faction, Bijan Djir-Sarai, told the SPIEGEL: "Boris Johnson wanted to use his move to remove the deputies from the decision-making process, which has now completely fallen on his feet." It is a clear political defeat for him. "
The left was also relieved in the face of the verdict. Deputy Group Chairman Fabio De Masi said that Johnson had gambled. Resignation claims were "extremely understandable". Johnson was therefore "like the emperor without clothes and should no longer arrest the British people for his Shakespeare production."
