Members of the British Parliament rejected on Wednesday 13 March, by 321 votes to 278, the scenario that the United Kingdom could leave the European Union in a disorderly manner on Friday 29 March and under any circumstances.
Earlier, the deputies had for the first time rejected, by a narrow majority of 4 votes (312 votes to 308), the possibility of a no-deal Brexit "under any circumstances", as stipulated in the amendment by Conservative MP Caroline Spelman and Labour MP Jack Dromey.
This vote, although non-binding, definitively rejects at the level of the British Parliament the scenario of a British withdrawal without an agreement, although the hardliner Brexiteers point out that at this stage, the law on British withdrawal has not changed.
The way is now open for a new vote on Thursday 14 March on a possible extension of the two-year negotiating deadline set out in Article 50 of the Treaty.
Prime Minister Theresa May said that if MPs quickly agree on an orderly exit from the EU, she will ask for a "short and technical" extension of the negotiation deadline. Otherwise, she will advocate a "much longer" extension, which will compel the United Kingdom to participate in the European elections at the end of May.
"I do not think that would be the right outcome", she said.
Any extension will ultimately have to be approved unanimously by the Twenty-seven, probably at the European summit on 21 and 22 March, a week before the scheduled Brexit date.
Theresa May's government had prepared a different motion, simply asking British MPs to exclude the possibility of a ‘no deal’ by 29 March, but also asking them to acknowledge that a no-deal Brexit could take place by default, due to lack of agreement with the EU.
MPs also clearly rejected (374 against, 164 in favour) the so-called 'Malthouse' compromise, which called for an extension of the post-Brexit transition period (provided for in the agreement) until the end of 2021 and a postponement of Brexit to 22 May, as well as a rejection of the backstop for Northern Ireland. EUROPE will continue to follow this. (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)