The EU can not betray the "growing majority" that wants the UK to stay, says Tusk | Policy

Donald Tusk has appealed to the "growing majority" of Britons wishing to cancel Brexit and stay in the European Union.

In a stirring intervention, the President of the European Council congratulated the people who marched through the streets of London and the millions of people who are asking the government to revoke Article 50.

Speaking to the European Parliament, Tusk reprimanded those who had expressed concerns about a possible extension of Article 50 in case the Commons would again decline the withdrawal agreement this week.

Tusk said, "Let me make a personal remark to the members of this parliament. Before the European Council, I said that we should be open to a long extension if the United Kingdom wanted to rethink its Brexit strategy, which would of course imply its participation in the European Parliament elections. And then there were voices that said it would be harmful or embarrbading for some of you.

"Let's be clear: such thinking is unacceptable. You can not betray the 6 million people who signed the petition in revocation of Article 50, the million people who marched for the people's vote or the growing majority of people who wish to remain in the European Union " .

Tusk added: "They may feel like they are not sufficiently represented by the British Parliament, but they must feel that they are represented in this House. Because they are Europeans. "

Ukip's former head, Nigel Farage, told Tusk that he was "deceived" and that a second referendum would get a greater majority of permission. The first suggestions that 1 million people marched last weekend to stay in the EU have been questioned in recent days.

In a moment of pantomime, Farage turned to those who were sitting behind him to ask them if they really wished that he would come back as a MEP. He concluded his speech in Parliament calling on EU leaders to "pull the British out".

Shortly afterwards in the debate, Tusk replied. "Mr Farage, you have presented pbadionate arguments against a second referendum," said the former Polish prime minister. "But the truth is that the second referendum took place in 2016 because the first one was held in 1975. A vast majority of the British public then decided that the UK's place was in the European economic community.

"No, it is you who thought three years ago that it was possible to hold a referendum to invalidate the previous one, so please, be consistent also today. ; hui ".

Michel Barnier, the chief negotiator of the EU, insisted that "no one is trying to rob you of Brexit, no one is trying to defeat the vote of the British people", but that the UK should support the consequences of his decisions.

He added that last week, EU leaders had authorized an extension of Article 50 until 12 April "to give the UK the opportunity to badume its responsibility – it is now up to this country to badume this responsibility ".

Tusk's comments came as the British government sent an e-mail to the 5.8 million people who had signed a petition from the British Parliament calling for the revocation of Article 50.

In its email, the government informed the signatories that "this government will not revoke section 50".

The revocation of Article 50 would break the promises made by the government to the British people, go against the clear instructions given by a democratic vote and, in turn, reduce confidence in our democracy. "

MPs must participate in indicative votes later Wednesday after
MPs voted in favor of taking control of the parliamentary calendar to allow the House of Commons to consider whether there could be support for alternatives to Theresa May's two-time agreement.

Members will be offered a series of options on a paper ballot and will be offered the opportunity to choose as many candidates as they wish.

Another round of voting is scheduled for next Monday to continue the process of reducing options, but it is likely that May will have another chance to win the majority of her contract in the meantime.

The President of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, spoke after Tusk Tuesday's summit where discussions had also been held on relations between the EU and China, told MEPs that he was waiting with interest the decision of the House of Commons.

"The debate on China was much less complicated than the debate on the United Kingdom and I told some of you that if I compared Britain to a sphinx, the sphinx would be an open book in comparison." said Juncker. "Let's see how this book speaks over the next week."

Several MPs noted that there were no speakers from the Conservative Party in the debate. Guy Verhofstadt, coordinator of the European Parliament for Brexit, has made fun of Farage for not staying on the "Leave Means Leave" march that he had organized from northern England to London. "I'm surprised to see you here, Mr. Farage," said Verhofstadt.

"I thought you were walking 200 miles in the holiday campaign? How many did you do? Two miles. You remind me more and more of Marshal Haig of Blackadder, sitting safely in his London office – you in Strasbourg – while your people are walking in the cold and the rain. "

Verhofstadt continued, "But let me recall the words of Sir Winston Churchill …" Success is the ability to pbad from one failure to another without loss of enthusiasm. "

"He could talk about the House of Commons and Prime Minister May today. This afternoon, the members will have the opportunity, if the President allows, no less than 16 options for a Brexit on the table. There is no loss of enthusiasm.

Barnier warned the UK government that Irish support, in which Northern Ireland would remain in the single market and in the customs union, would continue to form the basis of EU policy aimed at avoid a hard border on the island of Ireland, even in case of a Brexit without compromise.

"In all scenarios, the agreement on Good Friday will continue to apply," he said, describing it as "the line to follow." "The United Kingdom will remain co-guarantor of this agreement and will respect it in the spirit and in the letter … There will be no hard border.

"We have to respect the single market, our single market, and that is out of respect for the UK domestic market. There will have to be controls somewhere. We must smartly find a solution that limits the damage caused by this decision and do it as soon as possible. "