EU leaders reaction following Brexit Deal rejection vote
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EU leaders and senior officials were dismayed but hardly surprised as the U.K. parliament rejected the Brexit deal for a second time.
With U.K. politics in crisis and the course of Brexit highly uncertain, they quickly expressed a willingness to consider an extension to the Article 50 negotiating period that would prevent Britain from crashing out of the bloc without a deal.
officials expressed a sense of powerlessness over U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May’s failure to secure a majority — despite their own steadfast refusal to renegotiate the agreement or put a time limit on the backstop provision that might have helped her to win round more MPs.
“We regret the outcome of tonight’s vote and are disappointed that the UK government has been unable to ensure a majority for the Withdrawal Agreement agreed by both parties in November,” spokesmen for European Council President Donald Tusk and Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said.
“On the EU side we have done all that is possible to reach an agreement,” the statement said. “Given the additional assurances provided by the EU in December, January and yesterday, it is difficult to see what more we can do. If there is a solution to the current impasse it can only be found in London.”
Officials at the European Council and the European Commission said the EU is prepared to consider an extension of the March 29 deadline for the U.K.’s departure. But EU27 leaders, who will meet at a summit in Brussels next week, have yet to hold a detailed discussion about what terms they might consider.
Among the possibilities is a short-term extension that might simply give more time to prepare for a no-deal exit. Another option would be a longer-term extension that would mean Britain having to participate in the European Parliament election in May and delay its departure for a year or more.
