UK MPs' rejection of Brexit deal no surprise

The rejection of the Brexit deal by the British parliament is no surprise and Czechia is prepared for all alternatives, including hard Brexit, Czech Deputy Prime Minister Jan Hamacek (Social Democrats, CSSD) said on Twitter tonight.

"Whatever the outcome of Brexit, the Czech government is ready to safeguard the rights of British citizens in Czechia even in the event of no-deal Brexit while striving for strong relations with the UK," he tweeted.

Czech PM Andrej Babis (ANO) ended his official visit to Singapore today and he flew to Thailand.

Hamacek said he is going to talk to the representatives of the Czech parties in parliament about how a law dealing with the position of British citizens in the Czech Republic could be passed soon enough.

"The priority are our citizens in the UK and he best possible relations," he tweeted.

Last week, the Czech cabinet approved a bill outlining Czech-British relations in case Britain left the EU without a deal in March.

The Czech Chamber of Commerce has warned against hard Brexit because it says firms will not have enough time to prepare the definitive scenario of the British departure from the European Union.

It is in the interest of Czech firms that the UK leaves the EU in a way preventing all barriers that can be prevented and that a pragmatic deal for a long period of time is negotiated, the Chamber of Commerce said in a written statement sent to CTK.

A no-deal Brexit would affect especially the automotive industry that would face a lack of components, it said.

The Czech Confederation of Industry said the softer Brexit the better for business. It said it believes common sense will finally win and the solution agreed on will take into account the interests of the European business and the development of jobs.

TOP 09 chairman Jiri Pospisil said on Twitter that the key point is to prevent a no-deal Brexit, which would damage not only Britain but also Czech interests. "The uncertainty caused by the Brexit referendum and the subsequent disunity of British politics will continue, unfortunately," he tweeted.

TOP 09 lower house group's head Miroslav Kalousek said Britain is weakened and groping around due to the irresponsibility and stupidity of its leaders.

"In the recent years, there are many politicians but no statesman in Britain," Christian Democrat (KDU-CSL) deputy chairman Marian Jurecka said on Twitter.

Former foreign minister Lubomir Zaoralek (Social Democrats, CSSD) told public Czech Television (CT) that the time for negotiating a deal was lost, which means great uncertainty, not only in Europe.

Zaoralek said the British parliament's vote rejecting Brexit deal today is caused by the failure of former British PM David Cameron who promised the referendum on the country's departure from the EU before the British parliamentary elections in 2015. Current PM Theresa May has failed as well, he said.

Civic Democrat (ODS) deputy head Martin Kupka said the British political scene is in a deep crisis. "There are not many good alternatives in this situation," he told CT.

Pirates deputy chairman Mikulas Peksa told CT that traditional British parties failed to find a way to leave the EU.

Source: CTK

Tereza Řezníčková
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section Aktuálně
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