If the UK’s departure from the European Union is extended beyond May 23 it would require the UK to hold European elections, the European Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, Phil Hogan, has stated.

Speaking in Brussels, ahead of today’s European Council summit, the commissioner outlined the further challenges posed by UK Prime Minister Theresa May’s attempt to appeal to the EU after seeking a ‘short delay’ to Brexit until June 30.

At a press briefing, Commissioner Hogan said EU Commission President Jean-Claude Junker has spoken to Prime Minister May and made his position “very clear” – particularly in the face of the upcoming European elections which are set to take place between May 23 and May 26 this year.

Any extension beyond May 23 presents potential institutional difficulties and legal uncertainty.

“Our view is that if an extension goes beyond May 23 that they [the UK] will have to hold European elections, with all of the implications and complications that are around that.”

Meanwhile, Prime Minister May met with European Council President Donald Tusk earlier today to discuss the possibility of an extension.

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Continuing, Commissioner Hogan said: “Our legal advice is that if it goes past May 23 there will have to be European elections in the UK.”

He added that this would mean the two extra seats allotted to Ireland in the European Parliament would be “put on hold”.

Letter

Yesterday (March 20) Prime Minister May stated that she is “not prepared to delay Brexit any further than June 30”.

May confirmed that she had written to President Donald Tusk requesting an extension to the Brexit ‘deadline day’ of March 29 – asking for that date to be pushed back to June 30.

The prime minister expressed her hope that she would be able to revive the withdrawal agreement – which was negotiated late last year and has been defeated in two separate votes in parliament.

“I am writing to inform the European Council that the UK is seeking an extension to the Article 50 period until June 30, 2019,” she said.

On Monday (March 18), the speaker of the House of Commons, John Bercow, ruled that the deal could not be brought back for another vote unless it was “substantially different”.

However, in her letter, May said she is “confident” that she would be able to bring the agreement back to the table for a third vote.