The European Union is giving Great Britain one more day to come up with workable proposals for a withdrawal arrangement. There must be an agreement on the legal texts about Brexit by tomorrow morning at the latest, otherwise no deal can be finalized later this week at an EU summit in Brussels. EU negotiator Michel Barnier said this to EU ministers in Luxembourg on Tuesday.
The most recent British proposals concerning some form of free trade agreement for Northern Ireland are still insufficient, according to Barnier. If an agreement is to be reached, the member states and the European Parliament need to be informed no later than Wednesday.
Barnier made his statements prior to briefing the EU ministers. Dutch Minister Stef Blok (Foreign Affairs) confirmed that a deal is still possible. According to him, the Britons have made concessions, but not enough.
At the European summit on Thursday and Friday, there may not yet be a ready-made proposal for discussion, according to Irish Minister Simon Coveney who spoke to Irish media. The EU has already made arrangements concerning the UK’s withdrawal with the predecessor of Prime Minister Johnson, Theresa May. However, despite repeated attempts, she failed to get that deal through the House of Commons and resigned.
On Thursday, the heads of government of EU countries will discuss Brexit among other things in Brussels, and by then an agreement should be in place. If that does not succeed, another summit may follow later this month where a new Brexit extension can be considered. In that case, the question is whether the Britons will request a new extension or the EU will offer a longer delay.
The EU does not want to give the impression that it is preventing or delaying a British exit, but does set the condition that any extension must lead to something, for example a new referendum or early British parliamentary elections.
Conservative Prime Minister Boris Johnson has repeatedly asserted that he will take his country out of the European Union on October 31, but his party has already printed election pamphlets that apparently do not assume this. Johnson said in the House of Commons on Monday that “it is absolutely crucial to carry out Brexit on October 31”.
However, according to the BBC, the party has ready pamphlets aimed at the Brexit Party of Nigel Farage, which should be used after the 31st. They feature an image of Farage with the message that he only causes longer extensions and cannot secure a majority for Brexit. The implication is that at the moment elections are held, Brexit will have been postponed and only the Conservatives can seal the departure from the EU. Elections can be held at the earliest at the end of November.