Further Brexit impasse could crack EU's united front
European leaders were not all singing from the same hymn sheet when it came to how long they should be willing to delay Brexit.
Monday 15 April 2019 10:44, UK
Last night's Brexit summit was as much about France as it was about Britain.
Had it not been for Emmanuel Macron, the meeting of the 27 European Union member states - plus a guest appearance from Theresa May - would have wrapped up much faster and the UK would have been offered a flexible Brexit extension of at least until the end of the year, possibly even next spring.
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The British leader should perhaps be thanking her French counterpart for keeping the departure date much closer to her desired out-point of 30 June.
However, Mr Macron did not support a short extension to do the UK a favour.
Instead he was doing everything possible to protect the "European project" from the uncertainty being caused by Britain's chaotic attempts to leave it.
France - more than any other member state - says it is concerned at the potential for Britain to disrupt EU business if allowed to remain within the bloc beyond June - when a new batch of members of the European Parliament are due to take up their seats.
Elections to the parliament will take place across all member states - including the UK - next month.
President Macron expressed "impatience" as he walked into the meeting of the EU27 in Brussels that he was going to have to listen to a request from Mrs May for a second Brexit extension.
A first extension was only granted last month and the repeated requirement to return to the Belgian capital for Brexit crunch talks is wearing on everyone's nerves.
"At this stage, as far as I am concerned, nothing should be taken for granted," he said.
Britain's prime minister addressed her fellow leaders for just over an hour - making a better impression on them than on previous appearances as she set out her case for extra time to get a withdrawal agreement or some alternative Brexit plan through Parliament.
"She had a clear narrative and set out her position quite astutely," one diplomatic source said.
Mrs May then departed, leaving the 27 EU prime ministers and presidents to enjoy a fish dinner, followed by iced macadamia nut parfait, as they decided between themselves what length of extension to grant Britain and with what conditions.
A majority of countries - around 17 - was in favour of a long extension proposed by Donald Tusk, the European Council president, of up to a year.
He wanted to give the UK maximum time to come up with a workable Brexit plan - not believing Mrs May's assurance that she could deliver this by 30 June.
The council president also sought to take the shadow of Brexit away from the EU's day-to-day focus and to push off the threat of Britain departing without a deal.
A further three or four member states were indifferent about a lengthy extension - and another four preferred a short one but could live with a long version.
Only one country - France - was set against offering the UK any extra time beyond the end of June, according to diplomatic sources.
Twenty-five of the leaders chose to make an intervention during the closed-door discussion, which ran through the evening, into the night and the early hours of Thursday.
The exchanges were fairly predictable until President Macron - though to have been the last but one to speak - gave his input, a European source said.
That "of course changed the climate, the atmosphere", the source said, adding: "[It] was quite a tough announcement and I think most people in the room had the impression - OK this is almost a veto on anything going beyond 30 June."
At this point, a large number of the leaders broke away from the main table to stand in a huddle to try to find a way forward - ironically they all switched into English to speak without the aid of translators.
This is when the compromise emerged.
"It was very civilised," the source said.
"There was a big huddle. They were all standing and everyone spoke English and that was where this compromise came up so it was really a true compromise."
He was referring to the new extension date of 31 October - Halloween.
A date that Britain never asked for but one that satisfies one of France's desires - that the UK not be given another post of British European commissioner.
Each member state has a commissioner, but France did not like the idea of granting the UK any extension that meant when the five-year jobs of the various commissions come round for renewal at the end of this October, the UK would be allowed to put another British official in one of them even though it is a departing country.
Still, the French position during the talks did irritate a number of other member states.
It also threatened to destroy the united front that the EU27 had until now maintained when dealing with the UK over Brexit.
President Tusk, speaking once the extension agreement was finalised, conceded that the question of granting further extra time could yet have to be considered by the EU27 if Britain fails to find a solution to its Brexit impasse by the end of October.
Given the tensions at this meeting, there is every chance the EU's united front could finally crack if that happens.