EU expected to call special summit on Brexit extension
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Shortly after it was announced that British Prime Minister Theresa May won’t be asking for a long extension for Brexit, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said that EU leaders will likely not make a decision on extending the Brexit negotiating period at a summit this week. Instead they most likely will hold another meeting next week to decide.
In comments to German Deutschlandfunk radio, Juncker said that his assessment is that the European Council this week won’t come to a decision and probably will have to meet again next week because May doesn’t have approval for anything — not in her Cabinet and not in parliament.
Juncker added that long as the Commission doesn’t know what Britain could say yes to, we can’t come to any decision.
May will on Wednesday make a formal request to Brussels to extend the Article 50 Brexit negotiating process amid enormous pressure from Eurosceptics within her party not to delay the divorce by more than three months.
Asked what May will need to secure an extension, Juncker said: “She must have approval of the treaty that’s been negotiated and she must have a clear idea of timing.”
The Commission president added that the Commission has moved intensively toward Britain and more isn’t possible.
Via Politico
