British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is preparing to ask the EU again for a Brexit extension, as prospects for a deal between London and Brussels before October 31 are growing increasingly bleak.
Some optimism emerged late last week when Johnson and Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar announced they had found a potential path to a deal. However, over the weekend it became clear that reaching an agreement at very short notice remains difficult.
According to several British media outlets, the UK government is therefore preparing for a new extension, even if some kind of withdrawal agreement is reached at this week's EU summit.
In his latest plan, Johnson has proposed a new customs system between Ireland, Northern Ireland, and the rest of the United Kingdom. This aims to prevent a hard border between Ireland and Northern Ireland. In theory, Johnson’s plan would mean there would be free movement of goods across the island of Ireland without checks at the border.
Although the EU is willing to examine the proposal, Brussels says Johnson’s plan does not go far enough. It relies on technological solutions that do not yet exist and have not been tested in practice.
According to a diplomatic source from Brussels who spoke to The Guardian, it is “impossible” for the British to leave the EU by October 31 with a “brand new concept” like the one Johnson has proposed.
Even if Johnson and the other EU leaders reach an agreement at this week’s European summit, it is still impossible for such a deal to come into effect by October 31.
What is painful is that Johnson apparently has no choice but to ask for a new extension: the prime minister is legally obliged to do so if he has not secured a deal by the end of this week.