Estonian vice minister: Supreme Court made Brexit talks more difficult for UK government

  • 2017-01-24
  • BNS/TBT Staff

TALLINN - The ruling of the UK's Supreme Court on Tuesday that Prime Minister Theresa May must get parliamentary approval before starting the process of leaving the EU will make the negotiations more difficult for the government, the Estonian vice minister for EU affairs, Matti Maasikas, says.

"It makes holding the negotiations more difficult for the British government," Maasikas told, referring to the need for Theresa May to regularly appear before lawmakers to report about progress in the talks.

"It will intensify the political debate in the UK. What will start happening now is that members of the parliament and political parties will start making additions to the decision [on leaving the EU], they wish to have a say on it in any case," the vice minister said.

The decision of the Supreme Court may also raise the topic of a second referendum, according to Maasikas. "The decision may give rise to a debate about a second referendum - on whether the final outcome [of the exit talks with the EU] will be similarly put to a referendum by the parliament," he said.

"And a legal discussion will arise from it on whether Article 50 can be reversed once it has been evoked," the top Estonian official on EU affairs said.

Maasikas also pointed to the part of the decision of the UK Supreme Court according to which the parliaments of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have no say in triggering the process of leaving.

"This certainly will change the internal dynamics in Britain," Maasikas said. "It's still very much open yet how Scotland and Northern Ireland will react. Especially in a situation where there will be new elections in Northern Ireland," the vice minister said.

The UK Supreme Court determined on Tuesday that the British government will not be able to begin the process of taking Britain out of the European Union without the permission of parliament. By a majority of 8 to 3, the Supreme Court ruled that the government cannot formally trigger the withdrawal of the UK from the EU without an act of parliament – meaning it must be debated and voted on by members of parliament