The British Parliament voted on Thursday evening, 14 March, in favour of postponing the United Kingdom's exit from the EU and extending the deadlines provided for in Article 50 of the EU Treaty with 412 votes to 202. The motion put to the vote provides, at this stage, for a short postponement, if MPs approve in a third vote, scheduled for around 20 March, the agreement negotiated with the EU, which was rejected on Tuesday 12 March a second time (see EUROPE 12212/1).
The British leader, Theresa May, had explained the day before that she could ask for an extension until the end of June, the time to complete the ratification of the agreement. If this fails, a longer extension period should be required. The day before, MPs had rejected any exit of the UK from the EU without agreement (see EUROPE 12213/1).
Just before the vote, British MPs overwhelmingly rejected, by 334 votes to 85, an amendment calling for a second referendum, tabled by the Independents Group (Labour and Conservatives having defected from their respective groups).
The European Commission reacted by reminding that it was now up to the Twenty-seven to decide "unanimously" on this extension and that it would be examined in the light of the functioning of the institutions and the justifications for such an extension. The United Kingdom could therefore, unless the Twenty-seven take responsibility for a no-deal Brexit, to not leave on 29 March next. EUROPE will continue to follow this. (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)