Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz said he hopes that the Withdrawal Agreement between the European Union and the UK will be approved by the House of Commons next week, in remarks to the press when arriving at the EU Council summit on Thursday.
“I would very much recommend it to the British [to reach an agreement]. A hard Brexit would damage the EU, but it would cause greater damage to the UK. Therefore one can only recommend to MPs to change their position after all and agree to the deal, which is a good deal” he said.
Kurz also stressed the EU leaders were stuck together throughout the negotiations. “Unity has always been there, and there wasn’t any conflict or disagreement within the Union.”
In other comments, German Chancellor Angela Merkel admitted that the EU was preparing for any scenario. “We wish for an orderly exit of Great Britain from the European Union, but we must also prepare for other possibilities, [in order to get a result] that is acceptable for the Europeans.”
The EU-27 agreed unanimously to delay Brexit until May 22 on Thursday, if MPs approve the withdrawal deal next week.
Brussels has also offered a shorter delay until April 12, allowing the UK time to indicate a way forward.