ON THE BREXIT ISSUE The EU wants a clear message from Great Britain

EU leaders called on Friday for a clear position on the demands that London has concerning Brexit, prior to the EU summit scheduled to take place on March 21st-22nd, in Brussels.

The EU wants this message from the EU before taking into account a potential postponement of Brexit, after on Thursday, the Chamber of Commons ruled against the holding of a new referendum, respectively in favor of postponing the departure from the EU.

On Thursday, 412 MPs voted against the postponing of Brexit and 202 against. Thus, Great Britain's exit from the EU could be postponed until June 30, as opposed to the current deadline March 29th.

The duration of a possible delay will depend on the result of another parliamentary vote on the Brexit agreement (concluded by PM Theresa May with the EU leaders) which has been rejected two times so far.

On March 20th, PM Theresa May wants to put the Brexit agreement up for vote in the chamber of commons for the third time on March 20th to the Chamber of Commons. An amendment that prevents her from doing that was struck down last week.

The London government noted that it would request a "technical postponement" until June 30, to have time to pass the necessary legislation, should the deputies approve the agreement this week.

If the deal gets rejected again, the government will be forced to ask for a longer delay period.

"It is very clear that the following steps, the next proposal on the Brexit process needs to come from Great Britain", Steffen Seibert, spokesperson to Angela Merkel, said on Friday.

The presidential office of French president Emmanuel Macron, stated that "The British government must provide a clear solution and an alternative plan, if the current deal gets rejected again". "Without clarity, no solution is possible. Otherwise. Great Britain will leave the EU without a deal".

Also at the end of last week, Irish foreign minister Simon Coveney, said that many European leaders won't support a too long extension of the Brexit deadline.

He added that Ireland would only consider that option if Great Britain "were to enact a plan and a clear strategy which would reflect and perhaps change direction where Brexit is concerned".

Before Thursday's vote, Carolyn Fairbairn, the head of the Confederation of the British Industry, asked the Parliament in London to "stop the circus act", and after the vote against a no-deal Brexit, and in favor of a delay, respectively, she said that "there is still common sense in Westminster". In her opinion, "without a new approach, radically changed, the business sector is concerned that everything is just "a postponement of the execution".

If Brexit were to be delayed past June 30, the UK would be forced to participate in the elections for the European Parliament, which are scheduled to take place on May 26th.