- Title: EU leaders meet in Brussels after announcing new Brexit deal
- Date: 17th October 2019
- Summary: BRUSSELS, BELGIUM (OCTOBER 17, 2019) (REUTERS) EXTERIOR OF VENUE BANNER READING "EUROPEAN COUNCIL" EXTERIOR OF EUROPEAN COUNCIL BUILDING
- Embargoed: 31st October 2019 14:59
- Keywords: EU Summit Brexit deal agreement EU leaders round table
- Location: BRUSSELS, BELGIUM
- City: BRUSSELS, BELGIUM
- Country: Belgium
- Topics: European Union,Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA002B1HLLC7
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: British Prime Minister Boris Johnson was greeted by other European Union leaders on Thursday (October 17) for his first summit after securing a Brexit deal with the European Union more than three years after Britons voted to leave the bloc.
Before EU leaders sat down for their summit, he could be seen walking around the table shaking hands with them one by one. He also spoke briefly with Merkel and Macron, with all three laughing and smiling.
Johnson must now secure approval for the agreement in an extraordinary session of parliament on Saturday, which would pave the way for an orderly departure on October 31. But getting the votes is uncertain.
He has no majority in the 650-seat parliament, and in practice needs at least 318 votes to get a deal ratified. The DUP have 10 votes.
Parliament defeated a previous deal struck by Johnson's predecessor, Theresa May, three times.
The uncertainty over parliament's approval means that, two weeks before the latest date for the United Kingdom's departure from the world's largest trading bloc, the possible outcomes still range from an orderly departure to a chaotic exit or even another referendum that could reverse the entire endeavour.
(Production Christian Levaux, Elena Gyldenkerne) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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