Brussels (AFP)

The 27 countries of the European Union rejected Friday a decision on the duration of the postponement of Brexit to next week, shortly before October 31, giving more margin to Boris Johnson to get early elections.

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.

A vote is expected Monday in the British Parliament on the holding of early parliamentary elections on December 12, proposed Thursday by Prime Minister Boris Johnson to break the deadlock.

"The work will continue in the coming days," said European Commission spokeswoman Mina Andreeva, while EU Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier said Friday's talks between ambassadors of the 27.

"According to developments in the United Kingdom, we give ourselves until the beginning of next week, Monday evening or Tuesday morning, to make a decision," said a European diplomat.

Another said Tuesday was an "informal deadline", two days before the scheduled date of 31 October for the divorce.

All EU countries have agreed on the need for a new postponement to avoid a "no deal" with dreaded consequences, and agree to take a decision on this subject through a written procedure, without it is necessary to convene a summit.

- "Enlisement" -

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.

But in London, Labor opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn reiterated on Thursday that he would support the organization of early elections once the risk of a Brexit without agreement would have been ruled out, suggesting a long delay.

Boris Johnson needs a two-thirds majority in the House of Commons to support his call for elections.

The United Kingdom, which voted by referendum in June 2016 for an exit from the EU, was originally scheduled to leave on March 29, a date already postponed twice (to April 12 and then to October 31).

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 snapped up this month by Boris Johnson, but voted against the expeditionary timetable proposed by the conservative leader.

The latter 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 ten points ahead of Labor (35% vs. 25%) in the event of early elections.

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