London (AFP)

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Friday urged opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn to behave like a "man" and to accept early elections to lift the Brexit from deadlock, in the dark on the date of the divorce.

Six days from the current deadline, the Europeans have postponed to a week the decision on the length of the postponement they intend to grant to avoid an exit without agreement carrying high economic risks, depending on the situation in London.

Boris Johnson, without a parliamentary majority to fulfill his promise of a Brexit on October 31, wants to hold a vote Monday for the holding of early elections on December 12. It needs a two-thirds majority of MPs and therefore the support of the Labor opposition.

"It's time for Jeremy Corbyn to behave like a man," Conservative leader Sky News said. He argued that his promise of a Brexit on October 31st is "always possible". "Unfortunately, it depends on what the EU is going to say," he added.

Jeremy Corbyn reaffirmed Thursday night that his party would not vote for elections as long as the threat of an exit without agreement would not be ruled out.

After a meeting of the ambassadors of Friday morning 27, the Europeans returned the ball to London. According to several European sources, a new meeting of ambassadors will be held Monday or Tuesday to decide the duration of the third postponement to be granted to the United Kingdom for an exit from the EU.

"According to developments in the United Kingdom, we give ourselves until the beginning of next week," said a European diplomat.

"Work will continue in the coming days," European Commission spokeswoman Mina Andreeva said, while EU Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier described Friday's talks between ambassadors as "excellent" from 27.

Another said Tuesday was an "informal deadline", just two days before the October 31 deadline.

- "Enlisement" -

On the principle of postponement, all EU countries agree. It intends to take a decision on this subject through a written procedure, without the need to convene a summit.

Regarding the duration, most countries seem open to a postponement of three months, January 31, 2020, time that Boris Johnson was forced to ask while being hostile, according to European sources. France insisted on having "clarity" on British intentions before a decision.

"It's one thing to say we would like to do perhaps elections, it's another thing to say they are organized," said Thursday the French Secretary of State for European Affairs Amelie de Montchalin.

According to her, we need "things not just wanted, but actually recorded". "We need to know why we give time.We know that time alone leads to nothing but stagnation," insisted Ms. de Montchalin.

A previous Brexit agreement negotiated at the end of 2018 by former Prime Minister Theresa May was rejected three times by Parliament.

On Tuesday, British MPs endorsed the principle of the new agreement snatched a week ago by Boris Johnson, but voted against the expedition schedule proposed by the conservative leader.

He then announced that he was suspending the examination of the agreement by the Parliament until the EU takes a decision on a postponement of the date of the divorce - a postponement to which he is personally opposed.

The latest polls give the Conservatives an advantage over Labor in the event of early elections, but the political situation became very volatile three years after the Brexit referendum clash.

The agreement reached by the EU and Johnson settles the terms of divorce after 46 years of living together and allows for a negotiated exit with a transitional period at least until the end of 2020.

© 2019 AFP