Brussels has delayed its decision to grant the UK a Brexit extension following Boris Johnson’s call for a December election.
The EU had been expected to agree to a new deadline of 31 January, after the prime minister was forced to ask for a postponement by parliament.
A decision, that originally expected on Wednesday, has now been pushed back to next week.
EU ambassadors on Friday agreed in principle on the need for an extension, but not on its structure or length. They will reconvene on Monday in Brussels.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson sent the request for a delay, albeit reluctantly and unsigned, over the weekend as the result of legislation that effectively forced his hand.
The period suggested by the UK would last three months, to the end of January, with the option to terminate earlier if Members of Parliament (MPs) can finalize the Brexit process. But the decision — on whether to extend at all, and for how long — rests with the EU leaders.
European Council President Donald Tusk said that he would recommend granting a request, while German politicians have also indicated a willingness in theory. However, France, which has often played the “bad cop” role in Brexit talks, voiced skepticism and raised the specter of a shorter extension designed to allow enough time to try to put the current Brexit agreement through Parliament.
Via Sky News
