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Worth remembering while von der Leyen's opinion on another Brexit delay will carry weight, she won't be in office when it's being debated and it's not her call - it's up to EU leaders. Instructive what Varadkar had to say to @NewstalkFM last week on this. independent.co.uk/news/uk/politi…
He said there's 'huge frustration' among Member States, especially those in the Mediterranean and East for whom Brexit is not a big priority, that the UK's departure is still 'taking up so much of our agenda' three years after the referendum result.
'The sense I'd have from my colleagues around the table is that a further extension would only be contemplated for a realistic purpose. So say for example an election happened in the UK, say for example there's a decision made by them, not by us, to have a second referendum.'
'But what wouldn't be contemplated is a further extension for another round of negotiations because negotiations are closed, or a set of indicative votes because they've already had them.' Varadkar, for fairly obvious reasons, is about as soft as they come on another extension.
The French in particular are not. Per @AlexRPigman an Elysee official summed up Macron's attitude thus: 'Giving more time to the UK isn't the best strategy. First, it's disrespectful to the British people. In any case, telling them to re-vote until they vote correctly is stupid.'
Of course we heard all of this back in Spring when the EU said they'd only grant a delay if the UK presented a good reason, only to go ahead and sign one off without a plan anyway. Watching developments in Westminster has definitely hardened attitudes in some capitals since then.
And the UK has to ask for an extension, which the next PM may well feel they can't do. But if they do find an excuse it can't be discounted that, presented with the choice of effectively triggering No Deal, leaders will again take the less risky way out and grant another delay.
