This Saturday, opponents of Brexit are mobilising in London to demand a second referendum. Concluded after 17 months of difficult negotiations with Brussels and intended to implement a Brexit smoothly, the agreement is very far to have convinced British MPs who have already rejected, massively, twice.
Opponents of Brexit are mobilising on Saturday in the streets of London to demand a second referendum, while Prime Minister Theresa May is active backstage to rally MPs to its divorce agreement.
The 27 have decided Thursday to give the UK two options for a postponement of Brexit beyond the originally scheduled date of March 29, setting now to April 12 at the earliest fateful deadline, almost three years after the referendum that decided to leave the EU.
The decision “underscores the importance for the House of Commons to vote for the Brexit agreement next week , “ Theresa May said after long hours of negotiations with the 27-member bloc. take place, “if it appears that there is not enough support to (represent) , “ said the conservative leader in a letter to the deputies, and published Friday night by the British media.
Concluded after 17 months of difficult negotiations with Brussels and intended to implement a Brexit smoothly, the agreement is very far to have convinced the British deputies who have already rejected, massively, twice, on January 15 and then March 12th. A third humiliating defeat in Parliament would insist on the question of the survival of Theresa May at the head of the executive.
” Everything is possible “
In her letter to the deputies, the leader again presents her agreement as the “best solution” to avoid an exit without agreement, a scenario feared by the economic circles. Anticipating a possible rejection of the text, the 27 gave Mrs May the choice: either the agreement is voted and the United Kingdom makes an orderly exit from the EU, benefiting for this from a short technical report set for May 22nd.
Either the agreement is rejected for the third time and London will have until April 12 to decide to organize the vote for the European elections. If he decides to hold them, the United Kingdom could then request a further postponement, the duration of which has not been fixed.
Until the 12th April, “everything is possible” , summed up Friday the President of the European Council Donald Tusk: “an agreement, a long extension, if the United Kingdom decided to review its strategy, or revoke Article 50” , that is to say, renounce Brexit.
“Of course we will meet again before that date, certainly in the presence of Theresa May,” said German Chancellor Angela Merkel, opening the prospect of a new summit. Opponents of the Brexit have called for a demonstration at noon (1100 GMT) in central London to demand a new referendum. Politicians of all stripes announced their participation.
Take advantage of the opportunity offered by the delay
A fierce opponent of Brexit, Scottish Prime Minister Nicola Sturgeon called on those who reject an exit from the EU to make the most of the opportunity offered by the deadline granted by Brussels. “We must avoid both the catastrophe of a + no deal + and the damage that would result from the bad agreement of the Prime Minister” Theresa May, said Ms. Sturgeon quoted by the agency Press Association.
“The EU’s decision to postpone until at least 12 April has opened a window and those of us who are opposed to Brexit must seize the opportunity , “ said Sturgeon, who is a supporter of the EU. organisation of a second referendum on the exit or not of Britain from the EU.
If she decides to reintroduce the withdrawal agreement to MPs, Theresa May will have to start by convincing the Speaker of the House of Commons, John Bercow, who prevented this week from holding a new vote on the agreement, making a very old practice prohibiting two members of the same House from
Recent EU decisions, however, may appear as new elements for voting, analysts say. In this climate of uncertainty, an online petition calling on the government to abandon Brexit, tabled on Parliament’s website, was a resounding success, with more than 3.6 million signatures in two days.
“Missed” opportunity
Ms May will have to convince MEPs to change their mind about the text, when she provoked their anger by blaming the Brexit procrastination on the eve of the European summit where she was asserting herself on the side of the EU. people.
Sign of difficulties ahead, the small party Northern Ireland DUP, which ensures Theresa May a fragile absolute majority in Parliament, said Friday that the Prime Minister had “missed an opportunity” to improve its divorce agreement at its meeting with the EU leaders.
While the political class was already beginning to consider a new rejection, another option was raised Friday: the possibility of organizing a series of indicative votes to determine the wishes of Parliament.
“In the event that the House (of the Commons) rejects (the agreement), it would not be unreasonable to have subsequent votes to know what (it) wishes,” said Secretary of State Brexit Kwasi Kwarteng.
