France Won't Approve Brexit Delay If It's Just to Gain Time

(Bloomberg) -- France will not approve a Brexit extension unless it is accompanied by a plan to get the accord through the British parliament or there is some other suggestion such as holding a new referendum, a French official said on Tuesday.

An extension will not be accorded if it is simply to gain time to come up with new ideas, the official said. A final decision on an extension might not come at an EU summit this week, but could be a few days later.

The Brexit deal and the Irish backstop agreement are not negotiable, the official added.

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