The European Union announced that it will not respond to a Brexit extension requested by the United Kingdom before the start of the next week, delaying a decision expected on Friday.
EU27 representatives met in Brussels on Friday to discuss a request by the UK to extend Brexit to January 2020, pushing back the current 31 October deadline.
While EU member states had agreed in principle to agree to an extension, it was largely expected to reach a decision on its duration on Friday.
But after British Prime Minister Boris Johnson called for national elections late on Thursday, the diplomats decided to postpone their decision, which they now say will not come before Monday or Tuesday of next week.
The UK Parliament is expected to vote on Johnson's push to hold a general election on 12 December on Monday.
On Thursday, European Commission President-elect said that if the EU agreed to the Brexit extension, she would request Britain to name a nominee for the commission, something which Johnson had repeatedly stated he would not do.
Gabriela Galindo
The Brussels Times
