UK Prime Minister's Request to the EU for Brexit Delay

On Tuesday, March 19, Theresa May's spokesperson stated that she would ask the European Union to agree to a three-month delay in the Brexit process. Last week, members of the UK Parliament voted against May's proposed plan to delay Brexit. Reuters reports that nearly three years after the referendum, the manner of the UK's exit from the EU remains unclear. Following the 2016 referendum, the UK submitted its request to leave the EU in 2017, which under law must be finalized after two years on March 29, 2019. The spokesperson for Theresa May stated on Tuesday, two days before the EU summit, that the Prime Minister would request a delay in a letter to Donald Tusk, President of the European Council. The spokesperson did not specify the duration of the requested delay. May had previously warned Parliament that if her plan did not receive parliamentary support, she would seek to postpone Brexit until June 30. Reuters notes that EU members are currently negotiating two options for either a short-term or long-term delay to the UK's exit from the union. Meanwhile, Michel Barnier, the EU's chief negotiator for Brexit, stated that extending the exit deadline would only be beneficial if it increased the chances of approving May's Brexit plan. Barnier emphasized that the political and economic costs of delaying Brexit should be weighed against the benefits of such a delay. On March 13, members of the UK Parliament agreed to delay Brexit with 412 votes in favor and 202 against. Any delay in the Brexit process requires approval from all 27 other EU member states, which would effectively allow the EU to impose its own conditions for the delay on the UK. EU officials have stated that they would agree to a delay if there is a valid reason, but they have also emphasized that they will not extend the Brexit deadline merely due to ongoing political debates in the UK.