EU agrees to delay Brexit until May 22 if British MPs back Prime Minister Theresa May’s deal
- If lawmakers do not ratify May’s text, Britain will have until April 12 to decide whether it will take part in the European Parliament election
Worn down by three years of indecision in London, European Union leaders on Thursday offered the UK more time to ease itself out of the bloc, delaying by several weeks – but not eliminating – the possibility of a chaotic British exit.
After a meeting that stretched through the afternoon and over dinner, the bloc said Britain could postpone its March 29 departure to May 22 – if the UK parliament approves Prime Minister Theresa May’s divorce deal with the bloc next week.
If the twice-rejected deal is thrown out again, the bloc says Britain has until April 12 to “indicate a way forward”.
“Now it is finally up to the British political system,” French President Emmanuel Macron said, adding that any final decision must come before the May 23-26 European Parliament election.
May – who has spent almost three years telling Britons they will leave the EU on March 29, 2019 – put a positive spin on the delay, saying it underlines “the importance of the House of Commons passing a Brexit deal next week so that we can bring an end to the uncertainty and leave in a smooth and orderly manner”.