Page 8 - ARUBA TODAY

A8 WORLD NEWS
Friday 19 July 2019
Lawmakers impede next UK leader's path to a no-deal Brexit

By JILL LAWLESS ed and stuck in limbo. May
RAF CASERT announced her resignation
Associated Press last month after failing to
LONDON (AP) — With Brit- win Parliament's approval
ain set to get a new pro- for her Brexit deal.
Brexit leader within days, Her successor is being cho-
lawmakers on Thursday sen by about 160,000 mem-
erected a roadblock in the bers of the Conservative
path of any attempt by the Party, most of whom are
incoming prime minister to strongly in favor of Brexit
take the country out of the and prepared to accept
European Union without a the risks of leaving without
divorce deal. a deal. Johnson is the run-
The move came as the away favorite to win the
U.K.'s official economic contest when the result is
watchdog said a no-deal announced Tuesday.
Brexit would trigger a reces- He claims that Britain can
sion, with the pound plum- flourish outside the EU if it
meting in value and the has enough optimism and
economy shrinking by 2% in "mojo," and says a no-deal
a year. Brexit will be "vanishingly
The Office for Budget Re- inexpensive" if the country
sponsibility made its as- prepares properly.
sessment as chances of In this Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2018 file photo, people aboard a boat make way past the Houses But most economists pre-
of Parliament with Big Ben's clock tower, the Elizabeth Tower covered in scaffolding for repairs in
a disruptive exit from the London. dict the economic shock
28-nation bloc appear to Associated Press would be severe, as tariffs
be rising. and border checks were
Britain is due to leave the oppose a no-deal Brexit, stops the government from lawmaker Alistair Burt, who imposed overnight on
EU on Oct. 31, but Parlia- and want to try to stop it sending lawmakers home co-sponsored the move. trade between Britain and
ment has repeatedly re- happening. Johnson, who in the weeks before the "Parliament can't be by- the EU.
jected the divorce deal is the strong favorite to win planned Oct. 31 departure. passed." The Office for Budget Re-
struck between Prime Min- the Conservative leader- The 315-274 Commons vote Digital Minister Margot sponsibility, which provides
ister Theresa May and the ship race next week, has saw several government James resigned so she the U.K. government with
bloc. Both men vying to not ruled out suspending ministers — including Trea- could vote against the independent economic
take over from her as Brit- Parliament if it tries to block sury chief Philip Hammond government, saying it was forecasts, said a no-deal
ain's prime minister, Boris his plan to leave the EU at — abstain rather than sup- "time for me to make a Brexit would see "height-
Johnson and Jeremy Hunt, Halloween. port the government's call stand." ened uncertainty and de-
say they will leave without That got harder on Thurs- to keep suspending Parlia- Three years after British vot- clining confidence deter
an agreement if the EU day, after the House of ment as an option. ers narrowly chose to leave investment, while higher
won't renegotiate. Commons approved a "We're putting down a the 28-nation EU, the na- trade barriers with the EU
Most lawmakers, however, measure that effectively marker," said Conservative tion remains deeply divid- weigh on exports."q

EU to implement new monitoring system to enforce rule of law

will be held to determine if the rule of law across Eu- cently reported cases of
any issues have surfaced. rope because we believe mistaken convictions and
He said that the purpose it goes to the very heart of of dishonesty.
isn't to point the finger at the functioning of the Euro- This week, the commission
any individual country, but pean Union," Timmermans stepped up the pressure
to put in place a regular told a news conference. on Poland to reverse the
oversight process — to "im- He stressed that countries changes.
prove the common under- have every right to reform "The way the disciplin-
standing of what the rule of their justice systems but ary chamber is organized
law is and create a strong that they have to do so leads to a level of political
rule of law culture across within EU law. steering and interference
the EU." Poland has been in particu- which does pose a prob-
The move results from the lar focus of late. The com- lem for the independence
EU's decision to begin mission's dispute with Po- of judges and we were not
sanction procedures over land is largely centered on convinced by the reply of
Commuters use escalators at the Schuman metro and train sta- changes to the justice sys- a new Disciplinary Cham- the Polish government so
tion outside the European Commission headquarters in Brussels,
Wednesday, July 17, 2019. tems in Poland and Hunga- ber at the Supreme Court we will take this a step fur-
Associated Press ry, which are widely seen that can see judges pun- ther," Timmermans said.
as violating EU law. ished when their decisions Poland, he added, has
Associated Press the bloc's rule of law re- The main thrust of the new and actions are deemed been given two months to
WARSAW, Poland (AP) — quirements. measures is to pre-empt wrong or inappropriate. make corrections.
The European Union said Frans Timmermans, a vice changes that could be The commission found the "If that does not lead to a
Thursday it's implementing president at the executive considered as bad prac- reasoning provided by the satisfactory reply, we of
a new monitoring system European Commission, said tice. Polish authorities as unsat- course will take the issue
to ensure that all member in Brussels that an annual "We will continue ensur- isfactory. The government to the European Court of
states are complying with review of all 28 EU members ing the right application of has been pointing to re- Justice."q