1. Skip to content
  2. Skip to main menu
  3. Skip to more DW sites
Politics

No-deal Brexit 'almost inevitable'

April 2, 2019

The deadline for the UK to present the European Union with a new proposal for its exit from the bloc or crash out without a deal is fast approaching. A top EU official has warned that Britain is "facing the abyss."

https://p.dw.com/p/3G3ZP
An EU flag flutters in London
Image: Reuters/H. McKay

After the UK Parliament once again rejected alternative options to Prime Minister Theresa May's Brexit deal, European politicians were quick to react.

The European Parliament's Brexit coordinator said the UK has a "last chance" to break the deadlock on leaving the European Union when Parliament meets again on Wednesday or "face the abyss." 

Guy Verhofstadt said: "The House of Commons again votes against all options. A hard #Brexit becomes nearly inevitable.

EU patience runs thin

Jens Geier, a German member of the European Parliament, said that there was a "ridiculous self-blockade in the British parliament" and that the EU could only agree to an extension of the Brexit deadline beyond April 12 if there was a second referendum.

The EU has called an emergency summit for April 10 and warned that without a plan, Britain risks abruptly ending ties with its largest trading partner two days later, causing huge economic disruption.

"With our British friends we have had a lot of patience, but even patience is running out," European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker told Italian television channel Rai 1.

Britain is legally due to leave the EU on April 12, after the bloc agreed to extend the March 29 deadline.

av/rt (dpa, AFP)

Each evening at 1830 UTC, DW's editors send out a selection of the day's hard news and quality feature journalism. You can sign up to receive it directly here.