By March 21, the date of the European summit, the British will have to bring a “clear” proposal, said the Elysee Friday, March 15. A statement that comes after the vote of British MPs to request a postponement of Brexit of at least three months.
London must make a “clear” proposal on the Brexit before the European summit of 21 and 22 March, said Friday the Elysee in the aftermath of the vote of the British deputies for a postponement of the exit of the European Union of at least three month.
“Without clarity, there is no solution,” notes the French presidency, according to which London has the choice between the approval of the plan of the Prime Minister Theresa May , a “new and clear alternative plan” , or an exit without an EU agreement that “imposes itself if there is no possible alternative” .
“The next proposal on how it will continue, must come from Great Britain”
The German government is on the same wavelength. For Berlin, London has to come up with a solution to get out of the European Union . “It is clear that now the next steps, the next proposal on how it will continue, must come from Britain,” said Steffen Seibert, spokesman for Chancellor Angela Merkel at a press briefing regular.
Brexit should be the first topic discussed at the Spring European Council meeting in Brussels on Thursday and Friday the leaders of the 28. By then, the British Prime Minister Theresa May must submit to the vote in Parliament its withdrawal agreement that elected officials have already retried twice.
A positive vote is “the most desirable scenario , “ according to the Elysee. In this case, no country, among the 27, should oppose a “technical extension” of the exit, originally scheduled for March 29th, “to allow the British Parliament to vote a series of successive laws” by the time end of May or the end of June.
On the other hand, if this agreement is again rejected, a short extension request “would be artificial and without effect” and the European Union would probably oppose it, says the French presidency.
A too long delay of Brexit would be “a danger for the functioning of the European Union”
For the Elysee, “a request for a long extension should be supported and justified by a clear plan” for leaving the EU, which puts “something new on the table: a referendum, an election, another agreement … “ . “It’s not up to the EU countries to define it, it’s in the UK. “
The European Commission also recalled Thursday evening that “any request for extension of (the period of negotiations provided for by) Article 50 requires the unanimous agreement of the 27 other member countries” and should be duly justified.
According to the Elysee, “what is clear is that we must not rule out the scenario of + no deal + (exit without agreement), which would be imposed if there was no credible alternative” .
For Paris, the priority is to prevent “uncertainty” and “stagnation” from lasting beyond a few months, as this represents “a danger for the functioning of the European Union” after the elections of 26 May, after which a new European Parliament and a new Commission will be set up. “Our energy must be focused on the future,” insists one.
Similarly, Paris hopes that next week’s summit will not focus on Brexit while “there are other important issues” on the agenda, including relations between the EU and China, industrial policy and the future of the euro area.
