EU won’t be held hostage to UK’s Brexit crisis: Macron

PARIS

The European Union will not be held “hostage” by the political crisis in the UK over Brexit, French President Emmanuel Macron said Tuesday.

"The EU cannot be held hostage to the resolution of a political crisis in the United Kingdom on a long-term basis," Macron said at a news conference with Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar, according to the France 24 news channel.

Macron said the three-time rejection of the withdrawal agreement in the House of Commons and having no alternative plans at this stage “puts us on a path of a UK exit without a deal”.

Urging the UK to present a credible alternative plan before April 10, when an emergency Brexit summit will be held, he added that if it is not capable of this, it “will have decided itself, de facto, to leave without a deal”.

The EU recently granted a Brexit extension, saying the deadline is April 12 if the House of Commons did not approve British Prime Minister Theresa May’s deal by the end of last week.

May’s deal was rejected last Friday for time.

Earlier Tuesday, May said she needed an additional short extension from the bloc.

In a statement following a seven-hour Cabinet meeting, she said she understands that some people are “fed up” and ready to leave the bloc on April 12 without a deal but added that “leaving with a deal is the best solution”.

UK voters decided to leave the 28-member bloc following a referendum in 2016.

*Writing by Sena Guler