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WORLD NEWS Saturday 9 March 2019

UK leader warns Brexit may never happen unless deal approved

By JILL LAWLESS In a series of tweets, Barnier
Associated Press said the bloc would assure
LONDON (AP) — Prime Min- Britain that it “will not be
ister Theresa May tried to forced into customs union
pressure U.K. lawmakers against its will.”
Friday to support her Brexit “The EU will continue work-
deal, warning that Britain ing intensively over the
may never leave the Eu- coming days to ensure that
ropean Union if they vote the U.K. leaves the EU with
down the agreement next an agreement,” he tweet-
week. ed.
Battling to stave off a sec- It was unclear to what ex-
ond defeat for the unpop- tent the offer would help
ular divorce deal, May also May in her attempt to push
implored the EU to help her the withdrawal agreement
make “one more push” to past her parliament next
get the agreement through Tuesday.
a skeptical Parliament. In her speech, May urged
British lawmakers are due EU leaders to help her out,
to vote for a second time saying “it is in the European
Tuesday on the deal, which interest for the U.K. to leave
they overwhelmingly re- with a deal.”
jected in January. If Parlia- “It needs just one more
ment throws out the deal Britain’s Prime Minister Theresa May gives a speech at the in Grimsby, north east England, Friday push, to address the final
again, lawmakers will vote March 8, 2019. specific concerns of our
on whether to leave the Associated Press Parliament,” she said.
EU without an agreement arguing” over Britain’s de- in a customs union with the and last-minute negotia- Opposition Labour Party
— an idea likely to be re- parture from the EU. other 27 EU countries in or- tions have foundered, with leader Jeremy Corbyn said
jected — or to ask the EU “If we go down that road, der to remove the need for the bloc’s leaders saying May’s speech sounded like
to delay Brexit beyond the we may never leave the checks until a permanent Britain hasn’t provided con- “a sign of desperation.”
scheduled March 29 de- EU at all,” May told workers new trading relationship is crete proposals. May acknowledged that,
parture date. at a Danish-owned wind- in place. However, it made an of- even if her deal passes next
“Back it and the U.K. will power factory. Brexit-supporting lawmak- fer Friday that it hopes can week, time will be tight to
leave the European Union,” British lawmakers’ con- ers in the U.K. fear the unblock the stalled Brexit pass the necessary legisla-
May said. “Reject it and no cerns about the divorce backstop could be used negotiations. EU chief ne- tion needed to make Brexit
one knows what will hap- deal center on a provi- to bind Britain to EU regula- gotiator Michel Barnier said a reality on March 29.
pen.” sion designed to keep an tions indefinitely, and May the EU was willing to offer “If we were simply asking
In a speech to factory open border between the wants to revise the deal to Britain “a legally binding for a bit more time to pass
workers in the staunchly U.K.’s Northern Ireland and reassure opponents that it interpretation” of the with- the legislation we need to
pro-Brexit northern England EU member Ireland. The would only apply tempo- drawal agreement through implement Brexit once we
port town of Grimsby, May mechanism, known as the rarily. an additional statement, have agreed the deal, a
said a delay could lead to backstop, is a safeguard The EU is unwilling to reopen rather than a reopening of delay would be straightfor-
“more months and years that would keep the U.K. the 585-page agreement, the deal. ward,” she said.q

Hungarian leader may turn to Polish party in EU Parliament

Associated Press an Commission President cerns about the rule of law
BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — Jean-Claude Juncker, who and democratic values.
Hungary’s prime minister is part of the EEP, as advo- Both countries have vowed
said Friday he would seek cating for mass migration to veto any possible EU
to form an alliance with Po- into Europe. “I’d rather pre- sanctions against the other.
land’s populist ruling party if fer to achieve ... the trans- EPP group leader Manfred
his governing Fidesz party is formation of the People’s Weber, also the EPP candi-
ousted from the main cen- Party so there is room in- date to succeed Juncker
ter-right group in the Euro- side it for anti-immigration after May’s European Par-
pean Parliament. forces like us,” Orban said. liament election, has set
The European People’s “Whatever happens in the conditions for Fidesz to re-
Party is expected to make future, no compromise is main in the bloc.
a decision on Fidesz’s sta- imaginable regarding the They include ending the
tus on March 20. About a In this Sunday, Feb. 10, 2019 file photo, Hungarian Prime Minister protection of Christian cul- anti-Juncker campaign
dozen smaller parties with- Viktor Orban delivers his annual “State of Hungary” speech in ture and immigration.” Po- — which the government
in the bloc called for the Budapest, Hungary. land’s governing populist said it will do by March 15
Hungarian party’s ouster Associated Press Law and Justice Party is not — apologizing for the ads,
because of Prime Minister end in a way that our place the EPP since his return to in the EPP, and Orban has and ensuring that Cen-
Viktor Orban’s tough anti- is not in the People’s Party, power in 2010, his govern- a close relationship with tral European University,
immigration stance and but outside it,” Orban said ment’s current ad cam- Law and Justice leader founded by George Soros,
perceived contradictions on state radio. paign against EU migration Jaroslaw Kaczynski. who appears with Junck-
with the group’s Christian While Orban has often policies provoked intense The EU has put Hungary er on the billboards, can
Democratic values. been at loggerheads with criticism. The posters and and Poland under the mi- keep all of its activities in
“It’s possible this debate will the European Union and billboards depict Europe- croscope because of con- Budapest.q