Politics

Brexit: UK, EU clinch deal

17, October 2019

Brexit: UK, EU clinch deal 0

Britain and the European Union (EU) have agreed on a long-awaited Brexit deal just a few hours before a meeting of the bloc’s leaders in Brussels.

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker made the announcement in a statement on Thursday, saying that the deal on Britain’s withdrawal from the EU was a “fair and balanced agreement.”

Juncker said he would recommend that the leaders of the other 27 member states approve the deal, adding it was “high time” to complete the divorce process and move on as swiftly as possible to negotiations of the EU’s future partnership with Britain.

US: Dems, Trump cut short meeting about Turkey’s war on Syria

17, October 2019

US: Dems, Trump cut short meeting about Turkey’s war on Syria 0

US President Donald Trump and Democratic leaders cut short a meeting over Turkey’s war after the commander in chief experiences a “meltdown.”

Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer and House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer told reporters Wednesday that Trump called House Speaker Nancy Pelosi a “third-rate politician” and as the result, the meeting in the White House deteriorated into a “diatribe.”

“What we witnessed on the part of the president was a meltdown. Sad to say,” said Pelosi, who has launched an impeachment inquiry over the Ukraine scandal.

Drew Hammill✔@Drew_Hammill

Thanks for the new cover photo @realDonaldTrump!

View image on Twitter

Hoyer blasted the president’s treatment of Pelosi, suggesting that his behavior was unprecedented.

“I’ve been in many, many, many meetings like this,” he said. “Never have I seen a president treat so disrespectfully a co-equal branch of the government of the United States.”

Trump’s spokeswoman Stephanie Grisham rejected the Democrats’ allegations.


Ambazonia and La Republique Crises: Is Paul Biya back in charge after tactical manoeuvres?

17, October 2019

Ambazonia and La Republique Crises: Is Paul Biya back in charge after tactical manoeuvres? 0

Paul Biya is playing a tactical masterclass. From the release of opposition leader Maurice Kamto and Anglophone militants, to the conclusions of the Great National Dialogue, the Cameroon president is hoping to avoid letting the federalism genie out of the bottle. Tired but beaming, Prime Minister Joseph Dion Ngute hands out a few bottles of Guinness to his colleagues on the first floor of the Palais des Congrès. There is no palm wine to mix with it, but the head of government wants to celebrate the end of the “Great National Dialogue”, which took place from 30 September to 4 October in the palace grounds. It was Dion Ngute who had welcomed the participants, eased tensions and overcome disappointments during the course of the five-day debate.

“This is a real political victory for him,” says Christophe Mien Zok, spokesman for the ruling party, the Rassemblement Démocratique du Peuple Camerounais (RDPC). Since President Paul Biya’s speech announcing the dialogue on 10 September, Dion Ngute had worked closely with the party, whose recommendations were designed to ensure the dialogue would not deviate from what the head of state wanted: a return to peace, and decentralisation.

Dion Ngute’s job was far from easy. On the first night he had to make a concession and allow the commission on decentralisation to discuss federalism – which the organisers had hoped to avoid. Meanwhile, there was the disturbance caused by Sultan Ibrahim Mbombo Njoya, an old companion of Paul Biya, who called for a limit on the number of presidential terms and political alternation. Biya was not in the room but he had his eyes and ears in the form of presidency official Ferdinand Ngoh Ngoh and several members of the intelligence services.

Until the last moment, Ngoh Ngoh and the minister of territorial administration, Paul Atanga Nji, were reluctant to engage in the dialogue, preferring to take a tougher line towards the opposition – notably Maurice Kamto, who was released on 5 October – and the Ambazonians. The two men watched Dion Ngute’s ascent with a cautious eye. But it was difficult to ignore Paul Biya’s support for his prime minister. The latter held tight to the reins and, on the closing evening of the debate, the two key – but vague – recommendations were in place: increased decentralisation throughout the country and a special status for the North-West and South-West regions. “It was a success,” says Simon Munzu, a diplomat at the United Nations. “The government admitted that there was an Anglophone problem and let the participants discuss federalism. Even if the solution was rejected, it took the sting out of the concept.”

But what can we expect from the recommendations transmitted to Paul Biya, who will implement them “according to their timeliness and feasibility”? “Giving special status to English-speaking regions means recognising their heritage, particularly in terms of the school and legal systems,” explains a ruling party official, who also cites the possible restoration of an “Assembly of Anglophone leaders”.

Paul Biya still sees federalism as a Pandora’s box

“We are moving towards greater decentralisation – quite close to federalism for the Anglophone regions,” says a Cameroonian political scientist. “Management of their own separate justice and education systems, as they did until the reunification of 1972, election of a regional authority with real powers and the restoration of an Assembly specific to the two Anglophone regions.”

Paul Biya, master of timing Biya, however, has not gone as far as federalism, which he still sees as “a Pandora’s box”, in the words of one of his close advisers. But the president has, on the surface at least, made concessions. “He had two problems: one national, which he wants to solve through decentralisation; the other Anglophone, which he thinks he can solve with a special status,” the source continues. Will Biya follow the recommendations?

The measures must be implemented in the coming weeks

He is a master of timing. “The measures must be implemented in the coming weeks,” says one executive in the ruling party. “Since 1996, Biya has been talking about decentralisation, but nothing has ever been done,” recalls a sceptic. Why believe in it today more than yesterday? “With the Ambazonians, we’ve been backed into a corner,” a party member confides. In Yaoundé, everyone is breathing out after what they see as a close call. But there’s a huge job ahead. The next parliamentary session, usually devoted to the state budget, is scheduled to open in early November, and legislative and municipal elections are scheduled to take place in February 2020. “MPs must follow the president’s lead, and the administration must not, as in the past, delay in passing laws,” RDPC spokesman Mien Zok insists. From the ministries to the tables of the capital’s restaurants, everyone is waiting for the next speech from the Etoudi Palace’s long-term tenant. “He can save his presidency by being pragmatic and giving up some of his power to the regions,” says a source close to Biya. But will his (so far hypothetical) pragmatism be enough?

The Anglophone conflict is far from resolved

For the Ambazonians, who refused to participate in it, the national dialogue was a non-event. “This monologue was nothing but a PR operation,” says Herbert Boh, one of their leaders in exile. On 7 October, a new “dead city” operation was organised by the secessionists in the North-West and South-West regions. It was a success.

“It will take more to win back the trust of the people and isolate the fighters. How can we expect to resolve this crisis in five days of debates that were written in advance?” confides a diplomat based in Yaoundé, for whom the release of separatist leader Ayuk Tabe is essential. “Even if Biya decided to take military action, hoping that the population had shifted to his side, it could not win against this guerrilla group.”

A more ambitious dialogue with Anglophones and Ambazonians is needed

“Youth in the North-West and South-West are becoming more and more radical. We need a more ambitious dialogue with Anglophones and Ambazonians on the form the state will take,” says Léonel Loumou, adviser to Akere Muna. On 2 May, Tabe’s birthday, a prayer was uttered in his Yaoundé prison: “May the Lord free us, bless us and free our lands from foreign occupation.” There is not much to be optimistic about. Especially since old political habits in Yaoundé still linger and could once again stop any change. “If we could have had a tenth of what the Anglophones have, we would have signed,” says an angry political leader from the Far North, who went so far as to claim “another special status” for his region.

Frightening tactic

“This is a perverse effect of the debate, and a way for some French-speaking leaders to block the implementation of the recommendations,” says one of the presidency regular. On the shores of Lake Yaoundé, overlooked by the white residence of the Prime Minister, rumours of reshuffling are already causing friction. In some villas in the heights of the city, the ballet of the ambitious has begun, while the elders are trying to ensure that their privileges are maintained. For those who do not have Paul Biya’s ear directly, the long nights of uncertainty have begun.

The tactical president, never better than in these troubled waters, will have to box clever: give to the English-speaking peoples without offending the other regions and open the government to the opponents who participated in the dialogue (Joshua Osih, Cabral Libii or Serge Espoir Matomba) without angering the CPDM. However, in this political version of the songo, Biya is in the “expert” category. On 5 October, the day after the dialogue ended, the President, to almost everyone’s surprise, officially dropped the charges against Maurice Kamto and the leaders of the Mouvement pour la renaissance du Cameroun (MRC). “Biya buried the dialogue by focusing attention on Maurice Kamto. Liberation is a good thing, but it will be less so if it allows the head of state to shelve the resolutions of the debate,” says a member of the MRC.

“Biya has bought time and given pledges to the United Nations and foreign powers. It is in the coming weeks that we will know if it was only a diversion,” said one diplomat. On October 8, as Maurice Kamto reconnected with his family and followers, Paul Biya landed in Lyon, France. His first official trip abroad since his hasty departure from Switzerland in July under pressure from a rebellious diaspora. He met with his counterpart Emmanuel Macron, who called for the early implementation of the dialogue’s recommendations. After a year of turmoil, the sphinx of Etoudi is facing scrutiny from all sides. But he is in charge again. For better or for worse.

Culled from the Africa Report

Message to Ambazonia: Catalonians begin 100km ‘freedom march’ to Barcelona

16, October 2019

Message to Ambazonia: Catalonians begin 100km ‘freedom march’ to Barcelona 0

In a straw hat and hiking boots, Jordi Soler set out from Girona with thousands of others on a 100-kilometre (60-mile) “freedom march” after Spain jailed nine Catalan separatist leaders.

“This is to show that we can bring Catalonia to a halt… to show that Madrid must do something because if not, it will soon be out of its hands,” warned the 25-year-old doctoral student.

With a Catalan separatist flag tied to his rucksack, he set off down the road among an endless line of marchers, from youngsters to pensioners, all of them protesting Monday’s Supreme Court verdict which handed nine Catalan leaders heavy prison terms for their role in the failed 2017 independence bid.

Following two days of mass protests, which at times turned violent, separatist activists on Wednesday organised five regional marches to Barcelona which are expected to reach the city by Friday.

The mass deployment down miles and miles of roads and highways is aimed at causing transport chaos in one of Spain’s most important economic regions, which is also a bottleneck for traffic moving between Spain and France, and the rest of Europe.

Organisers say some 10,000 people turned out for the start of the marches, with the biggest in separatist stronghold Girona, the hometown of former Catalan president Carles Puigdemont, who fled to Belgium to escape prosecution for his role in the crisis.

On a chilly morning barely warmed by the autumn sun, the crowds rallied in the town’s October 1 square renamed in honour of the date of the contentious referendum, which was banned by Madrid and marred by police violence.

And by 9:00 am (0700 GMT), they were on their way, setting out on a 100-kilometre journey to the Catalan capital that will take them through the verdant hilly countryside of Girona to the sandy plains of the Mediterranean coast.

– Independence struggle as ‘TV series’ –

Some will walk the entire way. Others will complete only part of it. With many passing cars honking their support, the march got under way in a festive atmosphere, moving aside only to allow the passage of ambulances or other emergency vehicles.

“It’s all very peaceful and that’s good… even if sometimes you have to more forceful,” Soler grins, in a nod to the overnight clashes in Barcelona.

When the independence movement began to gain momentum, he was just 18. Ensconced in leftwing Catalan circles, his involvement in the separatist movement came naturally, he says.

After seven years of demonstrations, protests and votes for independence, none of which had any effect, Soler admits feeling “a little worn out” by the struggle.

But he won’t give up.

“It’s like a TV series. You’ve watched seven seasons and the eight is rubbish, but you still watch it because you’ve come so far and hopefully it will have a good ending,” he explains.

The marches were organised by ANC and Omnium, the region’s two biggest grassroots pro-independence groups that have organised some of the largest separatist protests in recent years.

And both groups have been directly impacted by the verdict, with Omnium head Jordi Cuixart, and Jordi Sanchez, who headed the ANC during the 2017 independence bid, both sentenced to nine years behind bars.

– ‘I’m in a hurry’ –

The peaceful marches stood in stark contrast with the tense protests of recent days, led by activist groups like the radical CDR (Committees for the Defence of the Republic) or Democratic Tsunami, who brought 10,000 people to Barcelona airport, cutting off transport links and prompting the cancellation of more than 100 flights.

“These marches… show the best of the Catalan people,” said regional president Quim Torra, who joined the march as it set out from Girona.

After two hours, with the sun much higher in the sky, the tiredness began to show.

“I’m going to stop soon. I’m not a spring chicken any more,” admitted 74-year-old Maria Pilar Collell.

Disappointed with the regional leaders, who for the past two years have been divided over how to push ahead, this elderly protester who learned Catalan in secret during Franco’s dictatorship, when it was banned, is hoping she’ll live to see the day when Catalonia is an independent nation.

“The politicians keep telling us to be patient,” she told AFP.

“But I’m in a hurry, I’m not 20 any more!”

Source: AFP

No sign of Brexit breakthrough as final hour approaches

16, October 2019

No sign of Brexit breakthrough as final hour approaches 0

With only a couple of days to go before a Brexit deal on Britain’s scheduled date of departure (October 31) from the European Union (EU) becomes impossible, there is much confusion about the outcome.  

In the latest development, the Irish Taoiseach (Prime Minister), Leo Varadkar, has said there are “many issues” to resolve before an agreement can be reached.

The Irish leader’s latest Brexit statement comes amid feverish activity by all sides as the EU prepares to hold its all-important summit in Brussels tomorrow.

Amid this frantic activity, and associated confusion, the Brexit secretary, Stephen Barclay, told a committee of MPs that the Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, will “comply” with the terms of the Benn Act.

The Benn Act, which received its royal assent only last month, compels the PM to seek a three-month delay to Brexit if a deal on exiting the EU cannot be reached by October 19.  

“I can confirm, as the prime minister has repeatedly set out, that firstly the government will comply with the law … And secondly, the government will comply with undertakings given to the court in respect of the law”, Barclay told the House of Commons Brexit committee.

In another development, the EU’s chief Brexit negotiator, Michel Barnier, is set to meet EU diplomats later today in order to determine if he can recommend a UK withdrawal agreement ahead of tomorrow’s summit in Brussels.

Source: Presstv

Brexit-Syria: Macron, Merkel meet to harmonise positions before EU summit

16, October 2019

Brexit-Syria: Macron, Merkel meet to harmonise positions before EU summit 0

France’s Emmanuel Macron will hold talks Wednesday with Germany’s Angela Merkel for the second time in a week to chart a united front on issues ranging from Brexit to Syria ahead of this week’s EU summit.

Macron goes into the two-day meeting in Brussels starting Thursday still smarting from the rejection of his pick for European commissioner, Sylvie Goulard.

The resounding “No” by European MEPs to Goulard, who has been caught up in an investigation into fake jobs for parliamentary assistants, was seen as a blow to Macron’s drive to boost France’s influence in Brussels.

On Wednesday, the French and German governments will hold a joint ministerial meeting in the southwestern French city of Toulouse to discuss how to move forward with some of the European projects that Macron has championed.

The ministerial council is the first since the two countries signed a treaty in January committing to wide-ranging cooperation on areas such as foreign policy, defence and energy.

In a video podcast, Merkel said she and Macron wanted to arrive in Brussels with “common positions in so far as possible.”

After a dinner with Merkel in Paris on Sunday, Macron warned that Europe could “not afford the luxury of petty quarrels” at what he called a “worrisome” time for the international order.

They will be joined later Wednesday in Toulouse for talks by incoming European Commission chief, Germany’s Ursula von der Leyen.

– Battle tank –

Von der Leyen’s visit — also her second to France in under a week — is part of a diplomatic blitz by Macron, who also hosted EU Council president Donald Tusk for talks in Paris on Monday.

The ardently pro-EU Macron is expected to use Wednesday’s ministerial council in Toulouse — home of European planemaker Airbus which he and Merkel will visit — to press Germany on closer defence and industrial ties.

Merkel said the two governments would discuss Franco-German plans to develop a European battle tank and fighter jet.

French presidential sources said Paris and Berlin would also attempt to develop common rules on arms exports, a bone of contention between the two powers, with France failing to follow Germany’s lead last year in halting arms sales to Saudi Arabia over the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

A French presidential advisor defended Franco-German cooperation, saying that while it was “often put to the test”, in the end it “always moves forward on the essential topics”.

Macron and Merkel are also expected to discuss the make-up of the incoming European Commission after the thumbs-down for Goulard, as well as the Hungarian and Romanian candidates.

But a French presidential aide said Tuesday that Macron would not announce a new candidate until he was assured of the support of the main groups in the European Parliament, who voted down Goulard.

– Brexit ‘momentum’ –

Turkey’s offensive in northern Syria and the tentative progress made in talks between the EU and Britain on a revised Brexit deal are also expected to loom large over Wednesday’s talks in Toulouse and the EU summit in Brussels.

EU leaders have condemned Turkey’s operation against the Kurdish fighters who toppled the Islamic State group’s so-called caliphate earlier this year, warning that the Sunni extremists could take advantage of the offensive to regroup.

Britain, France and Germany have halted arms sales to Ankara, but EU foreign ministers on Wednesday stopped short of imposing an EU-wide weapons embargo on fellow NATO member Turkey.

French Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian told parliament on Tuesday that the decision by the US to withdraw its troops from northern Syria, seen as a green flag for the Turkish invasion, had underscored the need for “European sovereignty” and “European strategic autonomy.”

On Brexit, by contrast, there was an air of cautious optimism in Paris on Tuesday, with a French presidential aide hailing the “positive momentum” in talks on the terms of Britain’s exit from the EU.

The remarks represented a marked departure in tone from Paris, which has said repeatedly in recent weeks that it considers a no-deal Brexit on October 31 the most likely scenario.

Source: AFP

There are reasons why the Trump administration should oust Biya

15, October 2019

There are reasons why the Trump administration should oust Biya 0

The number of African migrants grew at a rate of almost 50% from 2010 to 2018. This is more than double the growth rate of migration to the US from Asia, South America or the Caribbean. It’s worth noting the higher growth rate of Africans is partly influenced by the relatively smaller African migrant communities compared with the size of longer-established communities from Central America, for example.

This is true even among African communities. While Nigerians remain the largest population group of African immigrants in the US, Cameroon leads the list in terms of rate of growth. The number of Cameroonian-born migrants in the US doubled to 80,000 in 2018 compared with 2010, with much of that growth occurring in the last several years. This makes the Cameroonian population the fastest growing in the US. These numbers are based on survey results and are likely to be accurate within 10,000 people.

The so called Anglophone crisis in Cameroon, where the government’s crackdown on protests by English-speaking citizens has fueled a separatist movement in the predominantly French-speaking country  is likely partly responsible for the spike. The protests against the Francophone-led government have led to violent battles in recent years, causing Cameroonians to flee the country.

But the increase doesn’t just stem from Africans and Cameroonians seeking asylum or refugee status, it also comes from those coming to the US to further their education. According to the UNESCO Institute of Statistics, from 2006 to 2014, the number of African students pursuing post-secondary degrees abroad grew 24%, rising from about 343,000 to 427,000. It rose 9% from 2013 to 2014 alone.

Africans have also benefited from the US Diversity Visa Lottery Program, better known as the “Green Card lottery.” Countries like Ghana, which is also among the top five African countries with a fast-growing immigrant population in the US, had the highest number of applicants than any other country in 2015 and at least a million applicants in 2016. The US State Department sets regional quotas every year and in 2017, the largest number of visas (about 19,000) went to citizens of African countries.

However, recent moves by the Trump administration could affect these trends. His administration has been accused of using “workarounds” to limit legal migration from certain regions of the world including Africa and the Caribbean. One of such policy is restricting who can apply for a diversity visa by mandating that all applicants have valid passports. Immigrant advocates say this development could deter applicants from the developing world.

“This seems like a backdoor strategy to discourage low-income people from applying for the diversity visa lottery; we know that this president has expressed strong preference for immigrants that are wealthy, white and European,” said Amaha Kassa, executive director of the nonprofit, African Communities Together.

While it remains to be seen how new US immigration policies will impact the flow of African migrants, Kassa says that any declines in the numbers will likely be temporary. “This is a detour because I don’t think majority of Americans agree with Trump’s restrictionist agenda.

“As long as African migrants have children who are becoming citizens and voters, over time we will become a more welcoming and inclusive society.”

Source: Quartz Africa

General elections kick off in Mozambique

15, October 2019

General elections kick off in Mozambique 0

People are voting in presidential, parliamentary, and provincial elections in Mozambique, amid concerns that a recent peace deal between the country’s ruling party and opposition could come under threat in the event of election-related violence.

Polls opened for almost 13 million voters in the southern African nation early on Tuesday morning.

Authorities will start counting the ballots after polls close at 6 pm local time and are expected to continue through the night.

Preliminary results are expected no earlier than Wednesday.

​People line up to vote at a primary school in Beira, Mozambique, on October 15, 2019. (Photo by AFP)

The vote is a competition between the ruling Frelimo Party of President Filipe Nyusi and former rebel group-turned-opposition Renamo, which is led by Ossufo Momade.

The results are likely to see the president’s party secure a second term. Frelimo has been in power for 44 years, since Mozambique’s independence from Portugal in 1975.

The opposition, meanwhile, is expecting an opportunity for a strong performance in the provincial and legislative races.

A peace deal was signed between President Nyusi and Momade in August, ending years of an armed conflict between government and rebel forces in the country.

Mozambique’s President Filipe Nyusi and opposition leader Ossufo Momade sign a ceasefire agreement in Gorongosa, on August 1, 2019. (Photo by AFP)

Rights groups are now concerned that the deal could be jeopardized since elections have historically been a trigger for violence in Mozambique.

At least 44 people were killed during the election campaign, although most of them died in campaign-related road accidents and some in a stadium stampede at a pro-Nyusi rally.

The United States Embassy warned on Friday of “credible threats” of violence in Nampula. It warned its citizens to avoid the northern city.

Source: Presstv

Council of the European Union adopts conclusions on Cameroon

14, October 2019

Council of the European Union adopts conclusions on Cameroon 0

The Council today adopted the following conclusions on Cameroon:

The EU welcomes the halting of prosecution by the military courts of Maurice Kamto and supporters of his party, the Cameroon Renaissance Movement, and of individuals arrested and detained in the context of the crisis in the North-West and South-West regions. These decisions are a significant gesture of goodwill.

Three years after the crisis began, a national dialogue recently held in Yaoundé offered a first opportunity to open up prospects for a sustainable exit from the crisis. The EU calls for this process to be continued in order to develop responses to meet the population’s legitimate expectations, while encouraging the involvement of all those concerned both inside the country and from the diaspora, including women, young people and civil society.

The EU reiterates the importance of respecting and promoting human rights, the rule of law and the fundamental freedoms of the citizens of Cameroon. The EU will continue to call on Cameroon’s authorities and institutions to act in a proportionate manner, while respecting the obligations stemming from Cameroon’s Constitution and the international treaties and conventions on human rights to which Cameroon has subscribed. In particular, the principle of access to justice and the right to a fair trial before an independent court must be respected. In the face of worrying restrictions on political space, the EU considers that respect for the freedom of assembly, the freedom of expression and the involvement of civil society in the public debate are essential for any democratic and pluralistic state. For this reason, the EU calls for the whole of Cameroon’s opposition to be able to express themselves freely, in accordance with the law, and to participate without hindrance in the process of national dialogue and in the local and general elections planned for 2020.

The EU remains concerned and strongly condemns the continued violence and the level of insecurity in the North-West and South-West regions of Cameroon, especially where the civilian population is affected. Numerous and serious violations of human rights continue to be reported and predatory crime has become widespread. The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights has reported that severe abuses have been committed, including arbitrary arrests and detentions, the burning of homes, the excessive use of force against civilians and sexual violence. This has exacerbated the humanitarian crisis, forcing more people into exile, with almost 42 000 refugees in Nigeria and 530 000 internally displaced people in the North-West and South-West regions. The economic situation is also severely affected.

The EU reiterates that the primary responsibility for protecting the population and maintaining security lies with the Cameroonian authorities. Access by humanitarian organisations and health workers to the populations affected must be ensured. The fight against impunity and compensation for all victims must also be guaranteed.

The use of violence in these regions is not the answer. The EU reaffirms the need for all parties in Cameroon to respect the rule of law and resolve this crisis peacefully through an inclusive dialogue. In coordination with its international and regional partners, the EU will continue to support all efforts, such as the facilitation work by the Swiss authorities, able to build on this momentum.

The EU also reaffirms its commitment to the economic development and stability of Cameroon as a partner at the crossroads between the Sahel and Central Africa and as an important player in the fight against Boko Haram and in the peace process in the Central African Republic. Improving the stability of Cameroon will help to strengthen this cooperation, including its trade and investment dimensions. The EU expresses its hope that Cameroon will find the ways and means to achieve a national revival that will bring about the lasting reconciliation the country so greatly needs.

The EU will remain committed to addressing the humanitarian needs of the populations affected and reiterates the importance of ensuring safe and unhindered humanitarian access to the entire country.

Britain, EU enter make-or-break Brexit week

14, October 2019

Britain, EU enter make-or-break Brexit week 0

Britain and the European Union on Monday enter a pivotal week that determines if they are still on course to reach amicable divorce terms — and when Brexit might finally occur.

Queen Elizabeth II is due to step into the fray by performing her ceremonial duty of informing parliament about the government’s agenda for the coming year.

But the odds of Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s tenure lasting that long will depend largely on the outcome of hurried discussions held behind closed doors in Brussels around the same time.

EU leaders will then meet on Thursday and Friday for a summit held under the pressures of the October 31 Brexit deadline just two weeks away.

Diplomats see little hope that the sides can achieve in a few days what they had failed to in the more than three years since Britons first voted to leave the bloc after nearly 50 years.

“A lot of work remains to be done,” EU negotiator Michel Barnier told ambassador Sunday.

Technical talks are continuing — variously described as “intense” or “constructive” — but few familiar with the process can point to progress on the decisive issue of British Northern Ireland’s place in the EU customs zone.

Johnson warned his ministers Sunday to brace for a cliff-hanger finish.

The British leader said “a pathway to a deal could be seen but that there is still a significant amount of work to get there and we must remain prepared to leave on October 31.”

– ‘Clock is ticking’

Johnson rose to power in July on a promise not to extend Brexit for a third time this year — even if only a few more weeks are needed to get a deal done.

Breaking that pledge could come back to haunt him in an early general election that most predict for the coming months.

Johnson is under parliamentary orders to seek an extension until January 31 of next year if no deal emerges by Saturday.

He has insisted that he will both follow the law and get Britain out by October 31 — a contradiction that might end up being settled in court.

Outgoing EU chief Jean-Claude Juncker said British politics were getting more difficult to decipher than the riddle of an “Egyptian sphinx”.

“If the British ask for more time, which they probably will not, it would in my view be a historical nonsense to refuse them,” Juncker told Austria’s Kurier newspaper.

Something will have to give when the British parliament holds its first emergency Saturday meeting since the 1982 Falklands War.

Johnson could theoretically then try to put up a fight and refuse to sign off on a Brexit extension request.

His refusal would immediately be contested in court.

The EU leaders could complicate matters further still by deciding to offer Britain extension terms that parliament cannot accept.

But Brussels might want to push Brexit back further into next year so that it stops interfering with all the other European issues piling up.

A long delay would be untenable for many eurosceptics ahead of an early election that some expect as early as December.

But a short one of a few months might only come on the condition that it is the last.

The last and seemingly least likely outcome would see parliament vote on an actual agreement reached in Brussels against all odds this week.

Brussels insists that the ball is now in Johnson’s court.

“If the British government wants a solution, it must move quickly now,” a European diplomat told AFP.

“The clocking is ticking,”

Source: AFP

«< 123 124 125 126 127 >»
Powered by  GDPR Cookie Compliance
Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.