The Brief: Brexit extension fatigue and Commissioners in the clear

Copyright REUTERS

By Joanna Gill & Sandor Zsiros, Jack Parrock, Stefan Grobe

Published on 09/10/2019 - 14:49

In this edition we ask two MEPs whether the UK should be granted another extension, and also look at who got the greenlight at to take a seat in the next European Commission.

Emotions are running high across the political spectrum as Brexit discussions hit a wall - we took the temperature in the European Parliament ahead of a debate with Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker and Michel Barnier and asked whether the UK should be granted another extension.

I know that a lot of people are tired and they want this to be over with. I would just like to remind everybody who thinks that this nightmare is over when we don't grant an extension. This is not going to be the case. The first thing that we have to figure out after the UK crashes out of the EU is what will we do with citizens rights, what will we do with financial questions, and the border between Northern Ireland and Ireland. So in order to come to a solution I think an extension is just fair.

Terry Reintke

MEP Germany, Greens/EFA

Elsewhere in Brussels...

The European Parliament has concluded two weeks of hearings with the Commissioners-designate.

The last day saw three sitting Commissioners and veterans of EU affairs smoothly sailing through the process.

Dutch Socialist Frans Timmermans is set to become Executive Vice President for the European Green Deal.

His Danish colleague, Danish Liberal Margrethe Vestager, also got her seal of approval after a three-hour hearing, in which she stressed the importance of improving the EU’s digital transformation - her future portfolio.

Finally, Valdis Dombrovskis also made the cut.

The Latvian Christian Democrat has been nominated to become the new Vice President for an Economy that Works for People.

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