British House of Commons lets Johnson ask EU for new Brexit extension

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has once again asked the European Union for an extension of the UK's departure from the EU, after the House of Commons refused to approve his Brexit deal at this time. EU President Donald Tusk will now ask the EU leaders how to respond.

It is almost certain that the EU will want to grant the extension, as a British exit without a transition period would also be damaging to the EU. All 27 other EU heads of government must unanimously agree to any new extension. It is unclear how long the new extension would last. Reportedly, Johnson did not specify a date in his request.

The EU consultation is expected to take several days. On Sunday, EU ambassadors in Brussels will be briefed by EU President Tusk. On Monday, the European Parliament’s steering group will hold an extraordinary meeting in Strasbourg. Europe is still holding back to see how things develop. According to a spokeswoman for the European Commission, the EU recalls that no vote has yet taken place on the deal itself.

Furthermore, Brussels is likely to wait to see if Johnson will indeed submit the legal texts next Tuesday in parliament that are necessary to legally formalize the UK’s exit from the EU.

Johnson did not personally sign the letter to the EU. It is a photocopy of the text of the law obliging the British government to request an extension. He attached two other letters. In one, he writes that in his opinion, a new extension would be a mistake. That letter he did sign personally. The other letter, from the British EU ambassador, makes clear that Johnson’s extension request is legally required.

The prime minister had previously been forced by the House of Commons to request an extension if he did not receive approval for his Brexit deal by Saturday night at the latest. British critics say Johnson’s deal is 95 percent the same as the earlier proposals by former Prime Minister Theresa May that were rejected by the House of Commons.