It’s not only in Britain that the talk is about extensions, deadlines, delays and new votes but the European Parliament too. Add in a little political infighting between the European Union’s political parties, and the two sides of the Channel are more alike than they might seem.
Strasbourg officials yesterday announced they need an extension because holding another vote for three of the 26 commissioner delegates for the new European Parliament is not going to be possible by the October 23rd deadline.
That means, they said, the next European Commission, to be led by Ursula von der Leyen, is unlikely to take office on its due date on November 1st. The latest Strasbourg shenanigans were prompted by the Parliament’s stunning decision last week to reject not one but three of der Leyen’s top commissioner-designates on ethical grounds. The biggest shock – certainly to President Emmanuel Macron – was the overwhelming vote against Sylvie Goulard, Macron’s former minister of defence and a close ally.
