United Kingdom and Gibraltar European Union membership referendum
all articles
The EU Member States will not immediately decide on the British request to postpone Brexit. EU Council President Donald Tusk will consult Member States "in the next few days," said European negotiator Michel Barnier to journalists following a meeting with EU ambassadors in Brussels.
The ambassadors "took note" of the request for renewal, the AFP news agency quoted an EU diplomat. The decision would include "further developments on the British side".
Tusk got three letters
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson was forced by the London House of Commons on Saturday to request a postponement of Brexit's planned for October 31st. In the evening he sent a letter to Tusk. Johnson did not sign the bill, according to British media.
This was followed shortly afterwards by a clarifying letter from British EU Ambassador Tim Barrow, who pointed out that the request for a postponement of Johnson had deliberately not been signed as the UK Government was "by law" bound to the motion. And most recently, Tusk received a letter signed by Johnson, in which he spoke personally against the postponement of the Brexit appointment.
In the video: Anti-Brexit-Demo - "I do this for my children"
MIRROR ONLINE
Altmaier considers extension of the Brexit deadline to be unproblematic
For their part, the EU states are initially hoping that this is still an option. They had "formally initiated the ratification process for the exit agreement on the EU side," said the EU diplomat of the AFP. The agreement must also be approved by the European Parliament. On Thursday, the EU heads of state and government had already approved it.
Federal Minister of Economics Peter Altmaier sees the postponement of the decision on the Brexit Treaty in the British lower house left. "A good and orderly solution is still possible if Boris Johnson now goes to Parliament and seeks a non-partisan solution," said the CDU politician of the "Bild" newspaper.
"If it takes a few extra weeks, I would not have a problem with that." At the same time, Altmaier warned that another power poker in the UK would jeopardize jobs and prosperity.
In video: Brexit vote postponed again
DPA
