Brexit will be delayed beyond October 31 as Tories focus on ousting May, says Juncker
President of European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker has said Brussels is prepared for Britain to ask for another extention. Picture: YouTube - Credit: YouTube
Jean-Claude Juncker has claimed that the government is facing another Brexit delay as it focuses on removing Theresa May rather than getting a deal passed.
The UK is set to leave the EU on October 31 but with May on the edge of resignation the European commission leader spoke of his admiration for the PM.
He told CNN: "What I don't like in the British debate is it seems more important to replace the prime minister than to find an agreement among themselves.
"This is a woman [May] who knows how to do things but she is unable to succeed in doing things. I like her very much; she is a tough person."
Junker told the American news organisation that he was "fed up" with the delay but Brussels is prepared to accept a further request to extend Brexit.
You may also want to watch:
He add: "I hope they will agree among themselves, and they will leave by the end of October, I think it's their patriotic duty to get an agreement.
"I am getting fed up because we are waiting for the next extension."
Most Read
- 1 The greatest failure of government in our lifetime
- 2 The bigot we should have called out on day one
- 3 The polling that signals the plight of the Union
- 4 Matt Hancock praises free school meals before being reminded he voted against them
- 5 Boris Johnson claims Labour supporters using Universal Credit vote to incite hatred
- 6 Brexiteer MP ridiculed after calling for free movement of goods between GB and NI
- 7 Brexiteer says he'd never have voted for Brexit 'if we knew we'd lose our jobs'
- 8 Nigel Farage launches new party in Scotland to promote 'positive case for the Union'
- 9 James O'Brien schools Brexiteer who refuses to accept new EU-UK trade rules
- 10 Brexit changes lead to exodus of Brits from Spain, UK nationals claim
The comments come as European Union liberal lawmaker Guy Verhofstadt described how other nations on the continent watching Brexit unfold has made them not want to leave.
"Brexit is in fact a tragedy for Europe," Verhofstadt, the European parliament' main liaison on Brexit, told a news conference in Budapest, Hungary.
"When a big country like the UK is leaving the EU its difficult to say it's fantastic."
Become a Supporter
The New European is proud of its journalism and we hope you are proud of it too. We believe our voice is important - both in representing the pro-EU perspective and also to help rebalance the right wing extremes of much of the UK national press. If you value what we are doing, you can help us by making a contribution to the cost of our journalism.