EU leaders are set to decide on Friday whether to grant the UK a three-month Brexit extension, the BBC’s Europe editor Katya Adler says.
Most EU nations back it but France “is digging its heels in”, she adds.
So there could be an emergency summit in Brussels on Monday to allow leaders to reach agreement face-to-face.
Boris Johnson insists the UK will leave the EU next week with or without a deal and he will seek a snap election if the EU grants an extension to January.
The prime minister was forced to send a letter to the EU requesting an extension, under legislation passed by MPs last month.
But he said he had told EU leaders his policy was still to leave on 31 October.
Commons Leader Jacob Rees-Mogg told MPs the government “does not want an extension” and was “making every preparation to leave on 31 October”.
Dominic Cummings, Mr Johnson’s chief adviser, is reported to be urging ministers to abandon attempts to get the prime minister’s Brexit deal through Parliament and go for a December election instead.
But some ministers – such as Northern Ireland Secretary Julian Smith – are understood to be urging the prime minister to make another attempt to get his deal through Parliament first.
Mr Macron is fed up with the more-than-three-year EU focus on Brexit and the ever-present threat of a no-deal scenario.
He would rather shift attention to reforming the EU itself, to the benefit (he believes) of the countries remaining in it.
Of course, the French president knows Brexit won’t be over if and when the UK leaves.
Brexit Chapter Two – the negotiations on a comprehensive EU-UK trade deal – will likely be lengthy and complex, but they will largely be the competence of the European Commission, landing far more rarely on EU leaders’ in-trays.
Source: BBC News
Tonight Malmö FF beat Lugano at home 2-1.
We now have 4 points and a good chance to advance from the Europa League group round.
The International Border Management and Technologies Association (IBMATA) has launched a paper on seamless and secure travel: The Future of International Passanger Travel and Border Control.
The paper is written by my friend Tony Smith and legendary Judge Rob Bonner.
Read it here: Secure and Seamless Travel: The Future of International Travel and Border Control
In addition, dOn’t miss the latest issue of ‘Border Management Today’ from IBMATA where I am chair of the international advisory board.
An excellent update on international development in this field. You find the magazine here: Border Management Today
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