Before the decisive Brexit vote in the British Parliament on Tuesday noticeably increases the nervousness. On Sunday, Britain’s Prime Minister warned in a guest commentary in a newspaper of the „catastrophic“ consequences of a no to the current draft of the Brexit agreement with the EU. An exit without a contract would be expensive according to current figures – not only for the British.
The decision was the most important of a generation, May wrote on Sunday in the British „Sunday Express“, where she also defended the current draft contract. She had negotiated long and hard with Brussels for the benefit of her country. The current deal gives Britain control of its borders and money, May wrote.
If the bill is rejected, that would be a „catastrophic and unforgivable breach of trust in our democracy,“ May said. Her message to Parliament this weekend is simple: „It’s time to forget the games and do what is right for our country. „(…)“ It is the biggest and most important decision that every member of our generation must make. „Citizens should not be let down.
Numerous rumors are circulating
The vote on the Brexit agreement between London and the 27 other member states is scheduled for Tuesday. May could suffer a defeat, speculates the British press. What exactly happens then is in the stars. The „Express“ believes in a veritable constitutional crisis, May was warned that after a defeat, the government is no longer able to act, it said in the „Sunday Times“. The speech was also of a possible
Conspiracy or „coup“ of deputies.
May went on to say that if the parliament did not support the agreement, „we risk leaving without an agreement, with all the job insecurity and security associated with it.“ She sharply attacked opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn. „It is not a discussion contest with prizes awarded for the ideological purity of a position.“ In Corbyn, she encounters a Labor leader who is more interested in politics than in the best interests of the country.
It would be „catastrophic“ if it came to an unregulated Brexit, Corbyn then said on Sunday. Should the prime minister fail in the vote on Tuesday with their agreement, he will soon set a vote of no confidence in motion.
The agreement will give the UK „an unprecedented economic relationship with our European neighbors“, one that no other large country enjoys, British jobs would be protected, May wrote. In addition, the control of trade policy will be regained so that for the first time in 40 years It could be used to „forge new trade deals with partners around the world“. In addition, Britain will become an independent coastal state with full control over its own waters if it withdraws from the common agricultural and fisheries policies.
„Hard“ Brexit expensive not only for London
If May loses the vote, it could come on 29 March to an unregulated exit from London from the Union. Such a „hard“ Brexit would not only be expensive for London, according to a recent study quoted on Sunday by the German press.
A „hard Brexit“ would also cost the remaining EU-27 and companies billions. Germany alone would have to pay about 4.2 billion euros more into the EU community cassa until about the end of next year, it was said by the Funke media group, citing calculations by the renowned Brussels research institute BRUEGEL (Brussels European and Global Economic Laboratory).
The sum would be the German share of the compensation of a gap of 16.5 billion euros, which would arise in the EU budget from April 2019 to the end of 2020 in a British EU exit without an agreement. Britain is the largest net contributor to the EU after Germany. The additional costs for Germany would be offset by only about 200 million euros in revenues from customs revenue.
Customs as another obstacle
The German Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DIHK) also calculates an annual amount of € 3 billion in customs duties which German companies would probably have to pay for exports to the UK, plus around € 200 million for customs formalities. The BRUEGEL Institute advises the EU to take a tough stance. If Britain does not comply with its payment obligations, this must be regarded as an „enemy act“. Then the EU Britain should not make any concessions if necessary
