Theresa May asked the European Union to postpone Brexit until June 30

Although British MPs are reluctant to approve their agreement on Brexit, Theresa May on Wednesday asked the EU for a short extension of the departure date, and not the long awaited by many, risking a parliamentary rebellion.

"I wrote this morning to the President (of the European Council, Donald) Tusk to inform him that the United Kingdom wanted Article 50 (which governs the departure of a member country, ed) be extended until June 30th.", announced May in the House of Commons.

Earlier, a spokesman for Downing Street announced that "the prime minister will not ask for a long delay" to the European Union, saying that "the citizens of this country have been waiting for almost three years."

"They are tired of Parliament taking no decision and the Prime Minister shares his frustration," he added.

The reactions of angry MPs did not wait, anticipating a possible rebellion of Parliament against the decision of the executive.

"The Prime Minister seems to follow a course of action that her own deputy described as imprudent last week: Theresa May is once again desperate to impose a binary choice between her agreement and a Brexit without agreement, even if Parliament clearly excluded both options last week, "Labor launched on Twitter Keir Starmer.

"The country is not frustrated by Parliament, it is frustrated by the weakness of this Prime Minister, by an apathetic government and by the total disaster provoked by the Conservatives about Brexit," added the liberal Democrat. Tom Brake in a statement.

May then warned that the postponement should be "long" if the country does not adopt an agreement before the European summit of Thursday and Friday in Brussels.

But this possibility was ruined when House Speaker John Bercow announced Monday that the government could not re-submit "the same proposal" without "substantial changes".

The uncertainty prevailed throughout the day on Tuesday: the possibility that London asks 12 or 24 months more, has already been mentioned. Several of the European leaders – who must approve this unanimous request for extension – then warned that they needed this extension. know for what purpose.

Last week, the House of Commons rejected various proposals to allocate the extra time needed to hold a second referendum or to check whether there was a parliamentary majority in favor of a flexible Brexit.

Any "extension is an extension of uncertainty," said European negotiator Michel Barnier in Brussels. warning that this would be "a political and economic cost".

For its part, the President of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, said on Wednesday that he was not expecting a decision on Brexit at this week's summit, raising fears that the process would continues until the last minute.

If London does not get a postponement and the agreement between the British government and the European authorities having been twice rejected by the Westminster Parliament, "the default option" remains a brutal departure March 29, which would have serious consequences. economic consequences.

The May letter to Tusk, completes:

(With information from AFP)