Alberto Nardelli: The EU Is Telling European Leaders There Are Only Three Reasons They Should Allow Brexit To Be Delayed: "The European Union will advise EU leaders that delaying Brexit makes sense only... to give more time to prepare for no deal, to complete ratification of the withdrawal agreement or if the UK decides to hold an election or a referendum. The assessment is contained in an internal memo... which sets out the thinking at the highest level of the European Commission following Theresa May’s heavy defeat on her revised Brexit deal in parliament.... Ultimately, it will be a political decision for the EU’s 27 leaders...
...On Wednesday evening, MPs will vote on whether to leave the EU with no deal. If, as expected, they reject this option, there will be a vote on Thursday on extending article 50, the framework that sets out the two-year process for the UK’s departure from the EU that is due to end of March 29.... The memo includes the political and legal considerations that EU leaders should take into account when they meet in Brussels next week for a European Council summit, where they are expected to consider any request from the UK for an extension....
Under the suggestion that the EU leaders could agree to more time to prepare for no deal, the memo states that the EU has prepared since December 2017 for no deal on 29 March. “We are prepared, why should we give more time, this would create a de facto transition period,” the memo goes on to say....
A diplomat from a major EU member state told BuzzFeed that the 27 would probably have to agree to any request from the UK asking for the time needed to hold a general election or a referendum, for fear of otherwise being seen to interfere in domestic British politics....Privately, however, a number of leaders, including Angela Merkel, believe a new vote will not solve much, a source with knowledge of the German chancellor’s thinking told BuzzFeed News.... “Brexit has to happen. Then in 10, 20 years, a new generation may want to rejoin,” the source said. “In the meantime, it’s important to have a ‘as close as possible relationship’ on everything.”
The third scenario outlined in the note is “to complete the ratification process”. The memo says bluntly: “We are not in this scenario.” The note makes clear that multiple short extensions should be avoided “at all cost”. “This would prolong uncertainty, would de facto create a transition period, reduce the value of the EU’s no deal preparations and endanger the political and institutional functioning of the EU at a time where it needs to be united and capable to act more than ever before”...
#noted
