Page 8 - ARUBA TODAY

A8 WORLD NEWS
Friday 15 March 2019
UK seeks to slam the brakes on Brexit, but what comes next?

By JILL LAWLESS beyond the May 23-26 out the terms of Britain's
Associated Press election for the EU's legisla- withdrawal and the outline
LONDON (AP) — British law- ture. The U.K. won't be rep- of future relations with the
makers are trying to put the resented in the European bloc.
brakes on Brexit — at least Parliament after it quits the Her Conservative govern-
for now. The U.K. Parlia- EU; its seats already have ment is holding talks with its
ment voted Thursday 413 been given to other coun- Northern Irish political allies
to 202 to ask the European tries to fill in the May elec- and pro-Brexit backbench
Union to delay the U.K.'s exit tion. lawmakers to see if they will
from the bloc beyond the The bloc may be open to abandon their opposition
scheduled date of March a long delay, however, to to a deal they fear keeps
29. allow Britain to radically Britain too closely tied to
The vote comes a day after change course. European the bloc.
U.K. lawmakers committed Council President Donald If May's Brexit deal is de-
Britain to staying in the EU Tusk tweeted Thursday he feated in a vote next week,
unless a divorce deal is rati- A pro-Brexit leave the European Union supporter takes part in a will appeal to EU leaders "to the government says law-
fied. With the approaching protest outside the House of Parliament in London, Wednesday, be open to a long exten- makers will get to vote on
deadline intensifying fears March 13, 2019. sion if the U.K. finds it neces- several different options for
that Britain could leave the Associated Press sary to rethink its Brexit strat- Brexit to see if there is a ma-
bloc without a deal — a egy and build consensus jority for any of them.
move that economists say grudgingly gave lawmak- a long extension, with the about it." Opposition politicians think
could spark economic tur- ers a chance to delay Brex- risk that opponents of Brexit ___ the only way forward is an
moil — the U.K. Parliament it. This option proved popu- will use that time to soften NO CLEAR ROUTE OUT OF early election that could
voted Wednesday to rule lar, since politicians on both the terms of departure or BRITAIN'S POLITICAL CRISIS rearrange Parliament and
out the possibility of a no- sides of the Brexit debate even overturn Britain's deci- Parliament's votes this week break the political dead-
deal Brexit. fear that time is running out sion to leave. won't end Britain's Brexit cri- lock. May has ruled that
However, the final say on to secure an orderly with- ___ sis. Both lawmakers and the out, but could come to see
whether to grant Britain a drawal by March 29. WHAT'S THE EU'S PART IN public remain split between it as her only option.
delay rests with leaders of May wants to get an exten- THIS? backers of a clean break And anti-Brexit campaign-
the 27 remaining EU na- sion until June 30 — but only A Brexit extension requires from the EU and those who ers haven't abandoned the
tions. if she can get Parliament approval from all 27 re- favor continuing a close re- idea of a new referendum
A look at what might hap- to back her Brexit deal in maining EU member coun- lationship, either through a on remaining in the EU.
pen next: a third vote by March 20. tries. They have an opportu- post-Brexit trade deal or by There's currently no major-
___ May's proposed Brexit deal nity to grant such a request reversing the June 2016 de- ity for that in Parliament. A
DELAY, DELAY, DELAY has been defeated twice at a March 21-22 summit in cision to leave. motion calling for a second
After a series of Parlia- already by lawmakers. Brussels. May is unwilling to aban- referendum was defeated
mentary defeats, British If it is defeated again, May But the rest of the EU is re- don her hard-won divorce by a thumping 334-85 vote
Prime Minister Theresa May says Britain will have to seek luctant to postpone Brexit deal with the EU, which sets on Thursday.q
EU parliament leader

under fire for praising

Mussolini

MILAN (AP) — European was disgraceful that his
Parliament President Anto- comments had been "ma-
nio Tajani apologized Thurs- nipulated." He later apolo-
day for remarks interpreted gized for his remarks in a
as praise for Italian dictator statement issued by his of-
Benito Mussolini and insist- fice in Strasbourg.
ed he is "a committed anti- He said his comments were
fascist." not intended to "play down
Tajani, who is a member an anti-democratic and
of Silvio Berlusconi's cen- totalitarian regime."
ter-right Forza Italia party, "I have always been whole-
came under fire after tell- heartedly anti-fascist," Ta-
ing Radio 24 on Wednes- jani said. "I have always
day evening that before stressed that Mussolini and
Mussolini "declared war on fascism were the darkest
the entire world, following chapter in the history of the
Hitler, until he promoted past century."
the racial laws," the dic- Tajani was the target of
tator did some "positive criticism for his initial com-
things," such as improving ments on Mussolini from a
infrastructure. wide range of sectors, in-
After an outcry in Italy and cluding European Commis-
abroad, including calls for sion Vice-President Franz
his resignation, Tajani shot Timmermans and Human
back on Twitter, saying it Rights Watch.q