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E.U. Offers Brexit Extension to Oct. 31 European Union Offers Britain a Brexit Extension to Oct. 31
(32 minutes later)
BRUSSELS — With less than 48 hours before Britain’s scheduled departure, the European Union extended the exit deadline early Thursday until the end of October, avoiding a devastating cliff-edge divorce but settling none of the issues that have plunged British politics into chaos, dysfunction and recrimination. BRUSSELS — With less than 48 hours before Britain’s scheduled departure, the European Union offered to extend the exit deadline early Thursday until the end of October, avoiding a devastating cliff-edge divorce but settling none of the issues that have plunged British politics into chaos, dysfunction and recrimination.
On another difficult night of negotiations for Britain’s prime minister, Theresa May, European leaders scrapped her proposal for a postponement until June 30, concluding that such a short deadline was unrealistic for the departure known as Brexit. However they agreed to review the arrangement at the end of June to prevent British disruption to the bloc while the nation remains in Europe’s departure lounge. On another difficult night of negotiations for Britain’s prime minister, Theresa May, European leaders rejected her proposal for a postponement until June 30, concluding that such a short deadline was unrealistic for the departure known as Brexit. However, they agreed to review the arrangement at the end of June to prevent British disruption to the bloc while the nation remains in Europe’s departure lounge.
Writing on Twitter, Donald Tusk, the president of the European Council, confirmed that an agreement had been made, but that Mrs. May had yet to accept it. Writing on Twitter, Donald Tusk, the president of the European Council, confirmed that an agreement had been made, but that Mrs. May had not yet technically accepted it.
Although the intense pressure of recent weeks will probably abate for now, the path ahead still resembles a minefield, dotted with explosive issues like a possible attempt to topple Mrs. May, a general election or a second Brexit referendum — or some combination of the three. Most immediately, Mrs. May is likely to face calls to step down, and potential successors are already trying to raise money and advertise their credentials. Although the intense pressure of recent weeks may abate for now, the path ahead still resembles a minefield, dotted with explosive issues like a possible attempt to topple Mrs. May, a general election or a second Brexit referendum — or some combination of the three. Most immediately, Mrs. May is likely to face calls to step down, and potential successors are already trying to raise money and advertise their credentials.
The extension to Oct. 31, reported by diplomats in Brussels, means that Britain will almost certainly have to hold elections for the European Parliament on May 23, something Mrs. May once argued would be absurd, almost three years after Britons voted for Brexit. That prospect seems certain to further anger hard-line Brexit supporters. The extension to Oct. 31 means that Britain will almost certainly have to hold elections for the European Parliament on May 23, something Mrs. May once argued would be absurd, almost three years after Britons voted for Brexit. That prospect seems certain to further anger hard-line Brexit supporters.
This was not the first time Mrs. May has requested a postponement to the withdrawal. Originally, she had promised Britons that she would achieve it by March 29, only to acknowledge last month that it was impossible. Having missed that deadline, Mrs. May was once again a supplicant to the 27 other leaders of the bloc, who made their latest decision after she had left the room following a brief presentation.
Having lost control of the process in Brussels, Mrs. May will return to a pitched battle with her pro-Brexit Conservative lawmakers, including a significant number who now want her out.
Some have been arguing that Britain should use an extension to sabotage European Union business from the inside. While Mrs. May has promised not to do so, her position is so shaky that thoughts are turning to how a successor might behave, particularly a pro-Brexit hard-liner like Boris Johnson, the former foreign secretary.
European nations had been divided between those who wanted a shorter extension, to keep up the pressure on Britain to resolve Brexit, and those who wanted to give it the time and space to reach a sensible conclusion.
On Wednesday it was France’s president, Emmanuel Macron, who took the toughest line, arguing that Britain needed to propose a credible plan to resolve the crisis.
But there was never any question of slamming the door on Britain and triggering a disruptive “no-deal” Brexit, which would have occurred Friday night in the absence of an extension.
To date, the British Parliament has shown little indication it will ever approve the withdrawal deal that Mrs. May negotiated with the European Union. That is a legally binding treaty that would resolve technical issues like the government’s outstanding financial commitments to the bloc and keep Britain inside its economic structures until at least December 2020.
After that point Mrs. May wants to detach Britain from Europe’s customs union and single market, and to take control of immigration from continental Europe.
That formula has been rejected three times in the British Parliament and, despite attempts to broker an accord with the opposition Labour Party, prospects for passage still look low.
More talks between the British parties were scheduled for Thursday, but Labour has complained that Mrs. May has shown no signs of budging from her basic determination to take Britain out of a customs union with the bloc.
Were she to accept staying in a customs union, which is Labour’s bedrock position, that would preclude Britain forging trade deals on its own and defeating, in the minds of pro-Brexit lawmakers, the entire purpose of Brexit. Such a step would risk cabinet resignations, enrage the party faithful and possibly create a split.
In the coming weeks there may be more votes in Parliament to gauge opinion on various approaches to Brexit, but the possibility of assembling a sustainable majority for any one blueprint still seems remote.
Conservative Brexit supporters are hoping they can replace Mrs. May with a hard-liner who could reopen the withdrawal agreement painfully negotiated over months with the European Union.
But European officials emphasize that the withdrawal agreement, including a provision known as the Irish backstop, designed to guarantee no hard border between Northern Ireland and Ireland, will not change. If Britain wants a managed Brexit, it must pass the withdrawal agreement first. Only then can the European Union begin negotiations on a future relationship.
But even if Britain never passes the withdrawal agreement and does finally leave the European Union without a deal, European officials emphasize that the central elements of the withdrawal agreement must be discussed before any other talks about how to regulate trade, customs and travel with Britain.
“The point of departure is the withdrawal agreement and we will not change it, even with no deal,” a senior European diplomat said on Wednesday. “The key elements of the withdrawal agreement — citizens’ rights, the Irish border and money — will have to be settled before any other discussion.” The Irish backstop, the diplomat said, “will still be there.”