On Tuesday 26 March in Strasbourg, the main political groups in the European Parliament generally welcomed the British Parliament's move to proceed, perhaps on Wednesday, with indicative votes on the direction to be taken when the United Kingdom leaves the European Union.
They also approved the two-phase timetable for the British to tell the EU-27 how Brexit will take place, namely: - until 22 May if there is a positive vote in the British Parliament on the orderly withdrawal agreement, or - until 12 April if British MPs reject (or do not vote on) the agreement and if the British decide not to hold European elections (see EUROPE 12219/1).
MEPs will discuss this further on Wednesday 27 March in Strasbourg with the President of the European Council, Donald Tusk, and the EU's Chief Negotiator for Brexit, Michel Barnier.
The ALDE group chairman in Parliament, Belgian Guy Verhofstadt, said on Tuesday that he hoped this process of indicative votes would lead to transpartisan cooperation and would aim to substantially strengthen the political declaration on future bilateral relations between the United Kingdom and the EU and not to changing the withdrawal agreement. Such an approach would require further negotiations.
The GUE/NGL Group, for its part, welcomed the House of Commons' approach.
The Spanish EPP MEP Esteban González Pons, on the other hand, was less enthusiastic. For him, the British House of Commons has not done its job, and it would be “foolish” to see British citizens participate in European elections. “Brexit is a British problem” that is still “not solved by the British”, he said. “We hope that by April 12, they will have found a solution.” Thus, for the Spaniard, “it must be resolved, saying whether they are in or out”.
“I am delighted with the prospect of European elections in the United Kingdom”, commented the Belgian Philippe Lamberts, co-president of the Greens/EFA group, who said that the “elections will benefit those with a clear approach” and will be “a disaster for Mrs May's party”.
Mr Lamberts also welcomed the fact that the European Council had countered the “major mistake” that President Macron had been about to make, according to him, by giving Mrs May a deadline until 7 May, which would have allowed her to continue “to play for time”.
On Monday evening, British MPs adopted an amendment allowing them to control their agenda and to schedule a series of indicative votes this week. This amendment, adopted by 329 votes to 302, was seen as a takeover of the Brexit process by the House of Commons.
Earlier in the day, Theresa May, after failing to reach an agreement with her Northern Irish ally in the DUP party in particular, ruled out putting the agreement with the EU to a vote on Tuesday because of insufficient support.
However, the British leader and members of the government have made it clear that they may disregard these indicative votes inasmuch as they could profoundly change the nature of what has been agreed with the EU-27. (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic with Pascal Hansens, Lucas Tripoteau and Damien Genicot)