EU leaders are meeting in Brussels in a new effort to decide who should get the EU's top jobs, including a successor to Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker. Centre-right leaders from the EU's biggest political group played down the chances of agreement on Sunday on a new Commission president.
The EU's top leaders on Friday fired a Brexit warning to whoever wins the battle to become the next British prime minister, saying the existing divorce deal could not be changed.
France and Germany have disagreed on who should take one of the EU's key roles as leaders from the bloc met following parliamentary elections. The vote saw the big centrist blocs lose their majorities with Greens and nationalists gaining ground.
French far-right leader Marine Le Pen won her symbolic duel with President Emmanuel Macron on Sunday, as euro-sceptic forces made strong gains in the EU parliamentary election.
British Prime Minister Theresa May on Thursday agreed to an EU offer of a six-month delay “flexible extension” to Brexit, EU Council President Donald Tusk said. “EU27/UK have agreed a flexible extension until Oct 31. This means additional six months for the UK to find the best possible solution,” Tusk tweeted, at the end of a summit in Brussels.
European Council President Donald Tusk told Britain on Thursday not to waste the extra time to sort out Brexit after the EU agreed to a second delay to London's departure until Oct.31.
China on Tuesday said it would push further to open its economy and deepen ties with the EU, which has grown increasingly wary of Beijing's influence in Europe. EU Council president Donald Tusk hailed Beijing's new commitments at an EU-China summit in Brussels as a breakthrough with both sides committed to globalization and pursuing international rules.
British Prime Minister Theresa May on Monday started a last-minute flurry of European diplomacy that includes visits to Paris and Berlin as she prepares for a make-or-break Brexit summit. Still struggling to get her EU divorce deal through parliament, May is hoping European Union leaders will agree on Wednesday to delay Brexit for a second time to stop Britain crashing out of the bloc two days later.
Theresa May has written to European Council president Donald Tusk requesting an extension to Article 50 until June 30. The Prime Minister said she will seek to ratify her Withdrawal Agreement before the European Parliament elections on May 23, but will make “responsible preparations” to take part if that does not prove possible.
European Council President Donald Tusk is proposing to offer the UK a 12-month flexible extension to its Brexit date, according to a senior EU source. His plan would allow the UK to leave sooner if Parliament ratifies a deal, but it would need to be agreed by EU leaders at a summit next week.