Germany urges UK to clarify its Brexit position

By Ayhan Simsek

BERLIN

Germany urged the U.K. on Wednesday to clarify its position on Brexit after the British parliament overwhelmingly rejected a long-negotiated agreement.

“We do not have time left and the time for playing games is over,” German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas told Deutschlandfunk radio.

He said while the British lawmakers have rejected the deal agreed between British Prime Minister Theresa May and the EU, they did not come up with any fresh vision.

“What the lawmakers in London really want has not become clear yesterday,” he said, and stressed that the EU now would first wait for the outcome of no-confidence vote in May’s government, and the British PM’s new proposal to the parliament.

Asked whether the EU might postpone the March 29, 2019 deadline for Britain’s exit from the bloc, Maas said that it was an issue which must first be decided by Britain.

“If there would be such a request, we will deal with it in a very constructive way,” he said.

The long-negotiated agreement on the U.K.’s withdrawal from the EU was rejected by British lawmakers in a 432-202 vote on Tuesday,

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn submitted a motion of no-confidence in government, as the defeat was the greatest against a government since 1920s.