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In the House of Commons, Boris Johnson announced the suspension of the review of the agreement. © UK Parliament / Jessica Taylor / Handout via REUTERS

If Britain's MPs backed on Tuesday 22 October the Brexit agreement won by Boris Johnson in principle, they refused the expedited review of the text wanted by the Prime Minister, compromising the chances of an exit with an agreement on 31 March. October.

Things had started well for Boris Johnson. By 329 votes against 299, the British deputies adopted the exit agreement of the European Union concluded Thursday, October 17 in Brussels. For the first time since 2016 and the victory of the "no" in the EU, the British Parliament approved a text related to Brexit.

But Boris Johnson's satisfaction was only short-lived. A few minutes later, by 322 votes against and 308 for, the deputies rejected the schedule proposed by the government, which provided for an approval of the law implementing the agreement by Thursday night. A delay deemed too short by a majority of parliamentarians to scrutinize a 110-page text.

Boris Johnson immediately announced that he is suspending the examination of the agreement concluded with Brussels by the Parliament until the European Union takes a decision on a postponement of the date of the divorce. " Pending their decision, we will suspend this legislation, " he told the House of Commons. " Our position remains that we should not postpone, that we should leave the EU on 31 October. That's what I will say to the EU, "added Boris Johnson, who has never changed in his promise to implement Brexit at the end of the month, as planned.

► See also: Brexit: the five scenarios for the future

The President of the European Council Donald Tusk has recommended to the Twenty-Seven to accept a new postponement of the UK exit date. " I recommend to the leaders of the 27 members of the European Union to accept the British request for a further postponement of the release date and I propose that it be decided by written procedure ", without the need to convene a summit, has he said on Twitter.

Following PM @ BorisJohnson's decision to break the process of ratification of the Withdrawal Agreement, and in order to avoid a no-deal #Brexit, I will recommend the EU27 accept the UK request for an extension. For this I will propose a written procedure.

Donald Tusk (@eucopresident) October 22, 2019

Ready to postpone " purely technical a few days " so that the parliamentary procedure can be completed in London, Paris has however repeated his opposition to an extension intended to " rediscuss the agreement ". " We do not change position, " insisted before the Senate the Secretary of State for European Affairs Amelie de Montchalin.