Page 8 - aruba-today-20190508

A8 WORLD NEWS
Wednesday 8 May 2019
UK concedes it must hold EU election amid Brexit delay

By JILL LAWLESS would leave the bloc be-
Associated Press fore the new European Par-
LONDON (AP) — The Brit- liament takes up its seats in
ish government on Tues- early July.
day acknowledged for the The Conservative Party
first time that the country fears it will be trounced in
will definitely take part in the European election as
the European Parliament pro-Brexit and pro-EU voters
elections this month be- both express anger at the
cause there's no chance country's political impasse.
that a Brexit deal can be Two new parties — the
approved in time to avoid anti-EU Brexit Party led
them. by Nigel Farage and the
Prime Minister Theresa pro-European Change UK
May's Conservative gov- party — are campaigning
ernment had been desper- hard, hoping to make gains
ate to avoid U.K. participa- among disgruntled Britons.
tion in polls for U.K. seats May has pinned hopes of
in the 751-seat European Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May speaks at the Welsh Conservative party conference at Llan- securing Parliament's sup-
Union legislature. The vote gollen Pavilion, Llangollen, Wales, Friday May 3, 2019. port for a Brexit deal on
in Britain on May 23 is be- Associated Press reaching a compromise
ing held almost three years with the opposition Labour
after U.K. voters chose to while politicians scramble tions, which are being held have to take place," he Party. After several weeks
leave the EU. for a solution. across the EU from May 23- said. "But legally they do of fruitless negotiations, se-
But lawmakers have re- Cabinet Office Minister 26. have to take place unless nior Conservative and La-
peatedly rejected May's David Lidington, the No. 2 "We very much hoped that our withdrawal has been bour lawmakers resumed
divorce deal with the bloc, in May's government, said we would be able to get given legal effect, so those Brexit discussions Tuesday
and Britain's departure "regrettably" it was no lon- our exit sorted and have will now go ahead." in what appeared to be
date has been postponed ger possible to get Brexit the treaty concluded so Lidington said the govern- a final push to reach an
from March 29 until Oct. 31 finished before the elec- that those elections did not ment still hoped Britain agreement.q

Denmark to hold election June 5; immigration a major issue

By JAN M. OLSEN Recent polls show Loekke
Associated Press Rasmussen's center-right
COPENHAGEN, Denmark government bloc trailing
(AP) — Denmark will hold behind the five-party, cen-
a general election on June ter-left opposition headed
5, the prime minister an- by the Social Democrats.
nounced Tuesday, with im- Surveys indicate the gov-
migration a hot-button is- erning coalition will get 46%
sue for voters. while the opposition would
Prime Minister Lars Loekke garner 54%.
Rasmussen, who heads the In announcing the election,
Liberals, has been in power which comes just 10 days
since 2015. He later formed after the European Parlia-
a coalition with the smaller ment vote, Loekke Ras-
Liberal-Alliance and the mussen stressed that the
Conservatives. But it de- government didn't resign.
pends on the anti-immigra- Under the Danish Constitu-
tion Danish People's Party tion, a vote must be held
and its 37 seats to muster a by June 17, when the cur-
majority in the 179-seat par- rent parliament, elected in
liament. 2015, completes its term.
Overall, Danes have sup- The election could mark the
ported the government's return to power of the So-
tough stance on immigra- Denmark's Prime Minister Lars Loekke Rasmussen, right, arrives for the funeral service for the three cial Democrats, the coun-
tion after the 2015 migration children of the CEO of clothing brand Bestseller, Anders Holch Povlsen and wife Anne, at Aarhus try's largest party, which
Cathedral, Denmark, Saturday May 4, 2019, who were victims of the bombings in Sri Lanka on
crisis in which mostly Muslim April 21. have spent four years in op-
asylum-seekers sought ref- Associated Press position. In recent months,
uge in European countries, the Social Democrats have
including Denmark. People's Party because of ers to hand over valuables Muslims who for religious moved closer to the stricter
Political experts say people fraud scandals involving such as jewelry and gold reasons decline to touch immigration agenda of the
who traditionally voted for European Parliament funds. to help pay for their stays in members of the opposite Danish People's Party — a
the populists are drifting The government has nota- the country. sex. Another law sends re- party with a euroskeptic
mainly to the Social Demo- bly adopted laws tighten- Other laws include requiring jected asylum-seekers or line founded in 1995. The
crats, which have moved ing asylum and immigra- anyone who becomes a those with a criminal record populists, now Denmark's
toward supporting a stricter tion rules, including a ban citizen of Denmark to shake awaiting expulsion to an is- second-largest party,
immigration policy. Voters on garments covering the hands at the naturalization land that once housed a grabbed more than 21% in
also appear to be turn- face and a law requiring ceremony, a move widely defunct laboratory for con- the 2015 election in its best
ing away from the Danish newly arrived asylum-seek- seen as aimed at some tagious animal diseases. vote ever.q