The next seven days look set to be one of the most tumultuous weeks in more than three years of Brexit drama. Get ready for nail-biting diplomacy and high-stakes politics — with a dash of regal pomp thrown in for good measure.
With Britain due to leave the EU on Oct. 31 and talks about securing a divorce deal hanging in the balance, here's a look at what could happen in the week ahead.
MONDAY, OCT. 14
Two anti Brexit people hold EU, Ireland and Union Flags as they wait for the departure of UK Brexit secretary Stephen Barclay during his meeting with European Union chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier at the European Commission headquarters in Brussels, Friday, Oct. 11, 2019. The European Union said Friday that talks with the United Kingdom to find an amicable divorce with the United Kingdom are back on track, despite huge challenges and a tight end-of-month deadlime looming large. (AP PhotoFrancisco Seco)
The week opens with the comforting trappings of British political tradition, featuring a monarch in a horse-drawn carriage, a diamond-studded crown and lords in ermine capes.
Parliament returns from a brief break for the State Opening of Parliament, a mix of politics and pageantry at which Queen Elizabeth II, seated on a golden throne, reads a speech written by the government outlining its plans for the year ahead.
After three years in which Brexit has dominated British politics to the exclusion of other vital issues, Prime Minister Boris Johnson wants the speech to give a vision of his plans for the U.K. after it leaves the European Union. It will include a Brexit bill to ratify any divorce deal with the EU, but also legislation on crime, immigration, health care, the environment and Britain's railways.
The Union flag of Great Britain and Northern Ireland flies in front of the clock face of the Queen Elizabeth Tower, that holds the bell known as 'Big Ben", part of the Houses of Parliament in London, Thursday, Oct. 10, 2019. Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson is to meet the Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar later Thursday for talks on Brexit. The Houses of parliament are undergoing restoration works. (AP PhotoAlastair Grant)
Johnson's opponents say the speech is little more than a stunt because the Conservative government lacks a majority in Parliament, making an election likely in the next few months, before most of the proposed bills can become law. Whoever won that vote would start again with a new program and a fresh queen's speech.
"What we have got in effect is a party-political broadcast from the steps of the throne," opposition Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn said Sunday.
In Paris, French President Emmanuel Macron is due to meet European Council President Donald Tusk.
TUESDAY, OCT. 15
As British lawmakers hold a debate on the queen's speech, scheduled to last several days, EU Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier will update ministers from the 27 other member states on the progress of Brexit talks at a meeting in Luxembourg.
WEDNESDAY, OCT. 16
Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merke, two of the most important EU leaders in determining the course of Brexit, meet as their two governments hold a joint meeting, a day before a crunch EU summit.
THURSDAY, OCT. 17
With two weeks to go until the Brexit deadline, leaders of all 28 EU countries gather in Brussels for a two-day summit with Brexit at the center of the agenda.
Johnson won't be in the room when the 27 other leaders discuss whether to strike a deal with his government. The key stumbling block has been finding a way to keep the border between the U.K.'s Northern Ireland and EU member Ireland free of customs checks and other barriers once Britain leaves the EU. In recent days, both sides have moved towards compromise, but it may not be enough to bridge the gap between their positions.
EU leaders may also consider whether to grant a delay to the U.K.'s departure date — already twice-postponed — if Britain asks for one. Many are reluctant to prolong the Brexit saga, but also want to avoid the economic pain of a no-deal Brexit.
FRIDAY. OCT. 18
The EU leaders' Brexit discussion is likely to stretch into Friday. By some point that day, the British government and public should know what the 27 have decided.
SATURDAY, OCT. 19
Thousands of pro-EU demonstrators are due to gather outside Parliament in London to call for a new referendum on whether to leave the EU or remain.
Inside, British lawmakers will meet on a Saturday for the first time since the Falklands War in 1982. If the government and the EU have struck a deal, legislators will be asked to approve it. If there is no divorce agreement, Johnson could ask Parliament to back a no-deal Brexit on Oct. 31 — something it is highly unlikely to do.
Most lawmakers fear leaving the EU without an agreement would hurt the British economy, and Parliament has several times voted to reject a no-deal Brexit. But so far lawmakers haven't agreed on what to do instead: some favor a Brexit deal, others want a new referendum and still others would like to cancel Brexit altogether.
The main opposition Labour Party says it might try to make support for Johnson's divorce deal contingent on a new referendum on whether to leave the EU or remain.
Parliament has already passed a law saying that if there is no Brexit deal by Saturday, the government must ask the EU to delay Britain's departure date. Johnson says he won't do that, but also promises to obey the law.
That contradiction could mean Johnson plans to challenge the legislation in court. His opponents say they will seek a court order compelling Johnson to comply with the law if he doesn't send a letter to the EU by Monday Oct. 21.
Opposition parties are also contemplating a no-confidence vote in the government. If Johnson lost, the opposition could try to form a national-unity government, or there could be an election.
Follow AP's full coverage of Brexit and British politics at https://www.apnews.com/Brexit
PARIS (AP) — French President Emmanuel Macron warned Thursday that Europe could “die” if it fails to build its own robust defense as Russia’s war in Ukraine rages on, or if it fails to undertake major trade and economic reforms to compete with China and the U.S.
Macron urged Europeans to become more ambitious in a fast-changing world to face the challenges of war, fierce trade competition, energy scarcity, climate change and increasing authoritarianism.
In a nearly two-hour speech at Sorbonne University in Paris, Macron said that the continent is divided and “too slow and lacks ambition” at a time when the 27-member European Union needs to become a superpower, defend its own borders and speak with one voice if it wants to survive and thrive.
“Our Europe today is mortal,” Macron said. “It can die and that depends solely on our choices,” he added. He called on people to make those choices now because, “it’s today that Europe is between war and peace.”
Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, now in its third year, is an existential threat and Europe isn't armed enough to defend itself when “confronted by a power like Russia that has no inhibitions, no limits,” Macron said.
‘Our ability to ensure our security is at stake," Macron said. “Russia mustn’t be allowed to win.”
Europe now has the “good fortune” of having the Biden administration’s commitment to supporting Ukraine, Macron said. But, in a year of key elections around Europe, in the U.S. and elsewhere, support may fragment or disappear entirely, he added.
“Europe must become capable of defending its interests, with its allies by our side whenever they are willing, and alone if necessary,” Macron said.
Strong armies, a European rapid intervention program and force, tanks, a missile shield and other weapons, produced in Europe, will need the support of “a joint diplomatic force that will speak with one voice and build bridges with Africa and Latin America,” the French leader said.
“Only then will Europe show that it's not a United States’ lap dog, and that it also knows how to talk to other regions of the world,” he said.
France has been a firm supporter of Ukraine in its fight against Russian aggression, and Macron has often clashed with other Western leaders as he has insisted that Europe must stand by the country at any cost. The French president alarmed European leaders by saying recently that sending Western troops into Ukraine to shore up its defenses shouldn’t be ruled out.
Referring to trade practices of China and the U.S., Macron said “the two world powers have decided not to respect the rules of global trade” by shoring up protections and subsides while Europe’s industry remains open and is stuck in overregulation.
“Let’s do the same, we are in competition,” Macron said.
“We must buy faster, we must produce more and we must buy more that is made in Europe. That is key,” Macron said.
Thursday's speech came less than two months before a pivotal European Parliament election.
Macron, an avid advocate of a united and assertive Europe, also rallied support for his centrist Renaissance party before the June 6-9 vote as far-right parties lead the moderate coalitions in the polls. He called for safeguarding democratic values as the “authoritarian model” was becoming “more popular” across the continent.
The war in Ukraine and immigration are top priorities for European Union voters, according to polls. Far-right parties have gained support by criticizing Macron’s government policies on both issues. Macron acknowledged divisions on immigration policies, including on asylum and deportation rules for those who have arrived to Europe illegally.
He emphasized the need for an effective response and Europe-wide coordination for curbing illegal immigration, closer cooperation with immigrants' countries of origin and a unified, relentless fight against human traffickers.
Macron criticized the idea of striking an agreement, as Britain as done, with countries in Africa and elsewhere to transfer immigrants there.
“This is a betrayal of our values that ultimately leads us to dependency on other counties,” Macron said.
The British government earlier this week approved a law allowing the deportation of some migrants who enter the country illegally to Rwanda.
Macron lost his majority in France’s most influential house of parliament, the National Assembly, after the 2022 election to the far-left coalition and the far-right National Rally party.
The social situation in France remains tense as Paris prepares to host the Olympic Games this summer, amid protests from teachers and police officers, and farmer demonstrations in recent weeks. The protests follow huge rallies last year against Macron’s ultimately successful proposal to increase the retirement age from 62 to 64.
Barbara Surk reported from Nice, France. Lorne Cook contributed to this report from Brussels.
French President Emmanuel Macron delivers a speech on Europe in the amphitheater of the Sorbonne University, Thursday, April 25 in Paris. 2024. French President Emmanuel Macron will outline his vision for Europe as a more assertive global power at the backdrop of war in Ukraine, security, and economic challenges in a speech ahead of pivotal election for the European Parliament in June. (Christophe Petit Tesson, Pool via AP)
French President Emmanuel Macron delivers a speech on Europe in the amphitheater of the Sorbonne University, Thursday, April 25 in Paris. 2024. French President Emmanuel Macron will outline his vision for Europe as a more assertive global power at the backdrop of war in Ukraine, security, and economic challenges in a speech ahead of pivotal election for the European Parliament in June. (Christophe Petit Tesson, Pool via AP)
French President Emmanuel Macron delivers a speech on Europe in the amphitheater of the Sorbonne University, Thursday, April 25 in Paris. 2024. French President Emmanuel Macron will outline his vision for Europe as a more assertive global power at the backdrop of war in Ukraine, security, and economic challenges in a speech ahead of pivotal election for the European Parliament in June. (Christophe Petit Tesson, Pool via AP)
French President Emmanuel Macron delivers a speech on Europe in the amphitheater of the Sorbonne University, Thursday, April 25 in Paris. 2024. French President Emmanuel Macron will outline his vision for Europe as a more assertive global power at the backdrop of war in Ukraine, security, and economic challenges in a speech ahead of pivotal election for the European Parliament in June. (Christophe Petit Tesson, Pool via AP)
French President Emmanuel Macron delivers a speech on Europe in the amphitheater of the Sorbonne University, Thursday, April 25 in Paris. 2024. French President Emmanuel Macron will outline his vision for Europe as a more assertive global power at the backdrop of war in Ukraine, security, and economic challenges in a speech ahead of pivotal election for the European Parliament in June. (Christophe Petit Tesson, Pool via AP)
French President Emmanuel Macron delivers a speech on Europe in the amphitheater of the Sorbonne University, Thursday, April 25 in Paris. 2024. French President Emmanuel Macron will outline his vision for Europe as a more assertive global power at the backdrop of war in Ukraine, security, and economic challenges in a speech ahead of pivotal election for the European Parliament in June. (Christophe Petit Tesson, Pool via AP)
French President Emmanuel Macron delivers a speech on Europe in the amphitheater of the Sorbonne University, Thursday, April 25 in Paris. 2024. French President Emmanuel Macron will outline his vision for Europe as a more assertive global power at the backdrop of war in Ukraine, security, and economic challenges in a speech ahead of pivotal election for the European Parliament in June. (Christophe Petit Tesson, Pool via AP)
French President Emmanuel Macron delivers a speech on Europe in the amphitheater of the Sorbonne University, Thursday, April 25 in Paris. 2024. French President Emmanuel Macron will outline his vision for Europe as a more assertive global power at the backdrop of war in Ukraine, security, and economic challenges in a speech ahead of pivotal election for the European Parliament in June. (Christophe Petit Tesson, Pool via AP)
French President Emmanuel Macron arrives to deliver a speech on Europe in the amphitheater of the Sorbonne University, Thursday, April 25 in Paris. 2024. French President Emmanuel Macron will outline his vision for Europe as a more assertive global power at the backdrop of war in Ukraine, security, and economic challenges in a speech ahead of pivotal election for the European Parliament in June. (Christophe Petit Tesson, Pool via AP)
French President Emmanuel Macron delivers a speech on Europe in the amphitheater of the Sorbonne University, Thursday, April 25 in Paris. 2024. French President Emmanuel Macron will outline his vision for Europe as a more assertive global power at the backdrop of war in Ukraine, security, and economic challenges in a speech ahead of pivotal election for the European Parliament in June. (Christophe Petit Tesson, Pool via AP)
French President Emmanuel Macron delivers a speech on Europe in the amphitheater of the Sorbonne University, Thursday, April 25 in Paris. 2024. French President Emmanuel Macron will outline his vision for Europe as a more assertive global power at the backdrop of war in Ukraine, security, and economic challenges in a speech ahead of pivotal election for the European Parliament in June. (Christophe Petit Tesson, Pool via AP)
French President Emmanuel Macron speaks during a media conference at an EU summit in Brussels, Thursday, April 18, 2024. European Union leaders on Wednesday debated a new "European Competitiveness Deal" aimed at helping the 27-nation bloc close the gap with Chinese and American rivals amid fears the region's industries will otherwise be left behind for good. (AP Photo/Omar Havana)
