THE EU member states are expected to wait and see what happens at Westminster before they decide whether to grant the UK another Brexit extension and decide how long it should last or what purpose it would serve.
European Council President Donald Tusk tweeted on Saturday night that he was consulting the EU27 leaders on how to respond, a process which could last until October 28 – just three days before the current Brexit deadline of October 31.
READ MORE: DUP and other former allies turn on Boris Johnson's Brexit deal
“It will be for the UK Government to inform us about the next steps as soon as possible,” the European Commission’s chief spokeswoman said.
If Johnson can get his deal through the Commons, the 27 member states may convene another summit before October 31.
A decision to grant an extension has to be unanimous, but the extension does not have to last until January 31, the date the Benn Act stipulated must be requested.
Heads of government like Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and French President Emmanuel Macron have been keen to emphasise the decision is not automatic, a way perhaps of concentrating minds in the Commons on a choice between this deal and No Deal.
READ MORE: Blackford: How many other unsigned letters has Johnson sent?
A spokesman for the Elysee Palace in Paris said on Saturday evening that any further delay “was not in anyone’s interest” and urged the Commons to vote on the revised deal. But few in Brussels expect a request to be denied.
One senior German politician suggested the country was open to a long extension.
The chair of the Bundestag’s foreign affairs committee, Norbert Rottgen, a senior member of Angela Merkel’s Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party, tweeted: “Johnson sent the letter, asking EU leaders for another Brexit extension. The European Council should now grant a final long one, giving the UK time to sort itself out & to prepare for all possible resolutions including a second referendum. Meanwhile [the] EU could deal with other pressing issues.”
Should the deal be approved by MPs and simply require a few extra days for the parliamentary business of clearing the necessary legislation, it is likely a European summit would be unnecessary and the decision could be taken by written procedure. In the event the deal is blocked, a longer extension may be granted. One senior diplomat suggested last week that any longer extension would only be granted on condition an election is planned.
Mateusz Morawiecki, the Prime Minister of Poland, said his country welcomed the Commons vote “not as a rejection of the Withdrawal Agreement but a postponement of its acceptance. Avoiding chaotic, no-deal #Brexit should be our top priority,” he tweeted.
Ambassadors of the EU 27 met on Sunday morning for a brief meeting to formally approve the Brexit deal agreed by leaders at the summit and to send it on to the European Parliament, which has to vote on it.
Sources say the meeting, which lasted barely 15 minutes, had no discussion of extensions, although the secretariat announced that it had received the three letters from London.
Guy Verhofstadt, the European Parliament’s Brexit coordinator, said the Brexit Steering Group of MEPs would meet tomorrow. Highlighting pictures from the anti-Brexit march in London on Saturday, he tweeted: “The @Europarl_EN’s Brexit Steering Group will consider the outcome of today’s vote for the Letwin amendment on Monday.Whatever happens next, the marches outside the Parliament show just how important a close EU-UK future relationship is.”
The European Parliament, sitting in Strasbourg this week, will only ratify the deal after it has been approved by the Commons.
MEPs will next sit on November 14 unless an extraordinary session is scheduled, making November 30 a potential new Brexit day should the Commons have approved it by then.
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel