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A8 WORLD NEWS
Friday 18 OctOber 2019
UK, EU reach Brexit deal, with Parliament as next hurdle

By RAF CASERT bittersweet, with EU leaders
JILL LAWLESS bemoaning the impend-
LORI HINNANT ing loss of a major member
Associated Press state — a military, eco-
BRUSSELS (AP) — British nomic and diplomatic jug-
Prime Minister Boris John- gernaut that had joined 46
son's career of disdain for years ago.
the European Union was a At the same time, they
thing of the past on Thurs- were clearly delighted to
day as he and the bloc's end the ugly recriminations
leaders celebrated their and insults of months of
tentative Brexit deal. He Brexit bickering.
now faces an opponent "I'm satisfied that we were
closer to home: his own able to find a deal, but I'm
Parliament. sad about the fact that Brit-
With the ink barely dry on ain is leaving the European
the proposal and Johnson Union," Juncker said.
still happily backslapping The pound hit a five-month
EU leaders at a summit in high against the U.S. dollar
Brussels, a chorus of Brit- on news of a Brexit deal,
ish party leaders said they then sank back as traders
would vote against the heard Johnson's Northern
deal. Crucially, the North- Irish allies were still unhappy
ern Irish party that supports British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, center, is greeted by Luxembourg's Prime Minister Xavier Bet- with the way the deal han-
Johnson's minority govern- tel, center left, during a round table meeting at an EU summit in Brussels, Thursday, Oct. 17, 2019. dles the border between EU
ment said it would not sup- Associated Press member state Ireland and
port the deal, leaving the Northern Ireland, which is
prime minister uncertain of tweet Thursday morning: sion being held Saturday have a deal, and there is part of the U.K. — long one
getting the votes he needs "We have one! It's a fair — the first time since the no need for a prolonga- of the thorniest issues of any
to ratify it. and balanced agreement 1982 Falklands War that the tion," he said. exit.
After an intense week of for the EU and the UK and House of Commons has sat The ultimate decision on The new deal is broadly
technical talks and with it is testament to our com- on a weekend. any extension though does similar to the 585-page
only two weeks to go un- mitment." European leaders unani- not rest with Juncker. It's a withdrawal agreement
til Britain's scheduled de- Johnson tweeted that mously endorsed the ten- decision for the other 27 EU that May hammered out,
parture on Oct. 31, Euro- the two sides had struck tative deal on Thursday, countries. with the only major chang-
pean Commission Presi- a "great new deal" and formally sending it to the Johnson's 10 Downing es on the Irish border issue.
dent Jean-Claude Juncker urged U.K. lawmakers to British Parliament. Street office put it even The agreement must also
broke the tension with a back it in a special ses- But Johnson will face a more succinctly with the still be formally approved
struggle to get his deal ap- mantra: "New deal, no deal by the bloc and ratified by
proved. All the major oppo- but no delay." the European Parliament.
sition parties condemned EU Brexit negotiator Mi- That could happen as early
the agreement, and John- chel Barnier said Johnson as next week when it meets
son's key Northern Irish ally "told President Juncker this in Strasbourg.
also said its lawmakers morning that he believed While British leaders kept
would oppose it. he was able to get the deal their legislators at arms'
Labour Party leader Jer- approved" in Parliament, length during the talks, EU
emy Corbyn, Scottish First adding that Johnson said negotiator Barnier has kept
Minister Nicola Sturgeon he was "confident about the EU parliament fully in-
and Brexit party leader Ni- his capacity to convince a volved and the final ap-
gel Farage all announced majority." proval is expected to be
they could not back the Johnson began his career little more that a rubber
deal. as a Brussels-based journal- stamp.
"It seems the prime min- ist spinning exaggerated The deal agreed Thurs-
ister has negotiated an tales of EU excess for British day will be legally bind-
even worse deal than readers, and as a politician ing if approved — but it
Theresa May's, which was helped lead the campaign doesn't cover the all nitty
overwhelmingly rejected," to take Britain out of the EU, gritty of future relations
Corbyn said, referring to but that acrimony was no- between the U.K. and the
Johnson's predecessor who where in sight on Thursday. EU. It merely lays out the
failed to get her agree- Instead, relief was pal- terms for withdrawal, while
ment through Parliament. pable in Brussels as lead- leaving the details of trade
Many opposition lawmak- ers happily mingled in the and other issues to future
ers want to oppose the summit room of Brussels' negotiations. The only is-
deal and then seek to de- Europa building, which has sues that leaders felt they
lay Brexit while new terms all too often been ground couldn't put off and had
are negotiated. zero for European crises. to hammer out ahead of a
But Juncker ruled out any Johnson cheerily saluted U.K. exit were the thorniest
new postponement, leav- French President Emmanu- ones: how to address the
ing British lawmakers with el Macron, who responded Irish land border and the
a simple choice: deal, no with the heartiest of hand- rights of British and EU citi-
deal or revoke Brexit. shakes. zens living in each other's
"If we have a deal, we The jubilation soon turned territories.q