French President Emmanuel Macron is expected to oppose the Brexit delay requested by the British PM, Le Point reports. This would block the extension, making a no-deal more likely and result in total failure for Theresa May.
Macron is expected to say no to Theresa May’s plea to postpone the Brexit date, the media writes ahead of the meeting at the European Council.
A Elysee official refuted the report by Le Point magazine later on Wednesday, according to Reuters.
The request for a Brexit extension must be unanimously backed by all other 27 EU members, which means that a strong opposition from a single country is enough to throw the delay under the bus. Sources within the administration of the French president have repeatedly signaled that Macron would not back it solely to save Britain from a chaotic no-deal Brexit situation.
While May has already asked for an extension, British Parliament has not approved the Brexit plan yet, and it remains unclear whether it will actually do so. Last week, British MPs rejected the ill-fated agreement for the second time – just 17 days before the deadline of March 29. At the same time, they have opposed the ‘no-deal’ scenario as well, sending quite mixed signals to the EU.
While Macron is apparently taking a strong stance on the UK, he faces a still-growing crisis in France. The ongoing Yellow Vest protests are the major issue which the Macron administration has been unable to tackle for several months. The demonstrations were initially sparked by a fuel tax hike, yet promptly overgrew that scope, targeting low wages, income inequality and Macron’s perceived protection of the wealthy establishment.
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