Britain - Brexit: British MPs reject Brexit deal by 391 to 242 despite May securing changes to backstop - by Alice Tidey & Rachael Kennedy

British lawmakers on Tuesday rejected May's Brexit deal for a second time with 391 votes against, 242 in favour.

MPs first rejected the deal on January 14 by a margin of 230, handing May the worst defeat of any sitting government in British parliamentary history.

The prime minister said immediately after the vote that MPs now face "an unenviable choice" and said she still believes that her deal is the best and only deal available.

May said if lawmakers backed a no-deal Brexit on Wednesday, it would become government policy.

A division list released by the Commons website shows that 75 Conservative MPs rebelled against May.

They were joined by 232 Labour MPs, 17 independent MPs, and every single MPs from Scotland's National party (35), the Liberal Democrats (11) and Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party (10)

Bottom ine: the Brexit  deal is clearly dead - and to make any sense of what the British really want, specially now the British Public has become more familiar with what breaking away from the EU and the Common Market would eventually mean to the economy and them, and the danger of becoming totally subservient to the US, is to have a second referendum.

This is the only way to stop this chaos, after the political establishment totally failed the people.  It is high time to put the control of the future of Britain back in the hands of the British people, before the country implodes.  

Read more: British MPs reject Brexit deal by 391 to 242 despite May securing changes to backstop | Euronews

Britain - Brexit: May sets January date for parliamentary Brexit vote

Theresa May sets January date for MPs' Brexit vote -

 

Read more at: 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-46586673

The Netherlands: Dutch MPs vote on ending 'Ukraine-type' referendums - by Peter Teffer

The Dutch lower house of the parliament is voting on a bill on Thursday (22 February) that would make it impossible for citizens to demand a referendum on future EU treaties, as they did with the EU-Ukraine association agreement.

The four coalition parties supporting Mark Rutte's third government are expected to support the bill, but it will be a narrow vote. If just two of the coalition MPs fail to show up, the repeal bill could be rejected.

Opposition parties are almost unanimous in their rejection of the government position - believing it takes away a democratic tool from citizens after it was only used once in practice.

Most opposition MPs even want citizens to be able to demand a referendum about the bill that would take away their right to demand a referendum – something which The Hague wants to prevent.

EU-Digest update: The vote ended in a victory for the Government

Read more: Dutch MPs vote on ending 'Ukraine-type' referendums

Italy: Italian president asks PM Matteo Renzi to delay resignation until after budget

The presidential office said on Monday that Mattarella had asked outgoing prime minister Matteo Renzi to stay in place until the government had passed its 2017 budget.

The Italian premier had been at the Quirinale Palace, the presidential residence, to formally offer his resignation to Mattarella.

"The prime minister, following the outcome of the constitutional referendum held yesterday, announced that he could not continue with the mandate of the government and has therefore expressed his intention to resign," a statement said.

"The president of the republic, given the need to complete the parliamentary process of approval of the budget law... asked the prime minister to postpone his resignation until this requirement has been fulfilled."

It remained unclear whether Renzi had accepted the task.

Renzi had said he would resign after voters in a referendum squarely rejected his plan for constitutional reform. However, Mattarella urged him to put his planned resignation on hold until parliament had approved the 2017 budget. It was expected that could be done as early as Friday.

Of those who voted for Renzi's plan for constitutional reform - which would have seen the size and power of the Senate limited and which would have centralized power away from the regions - some 60 percent were against. 

Read more: Italian president asks PM Matteo Renzi to delay resignation until after budget | News | DW.COM | 05.12.2016

EU's New President: Pro-EU Juncker wins parliamentary endorsement for powerful EU job

Luxembourg’s former conservative premier Jean-Claude Juncker won the endorsement on Tuesday of the European Parliament to become president of the powerful European Commission for the next five years.

Despite sharp opposition from Britain and Hungary, Mr Juncker had been put up as a candidate for the job by 26 of the European Union’s (EU’s) 28 leaders, but needed a majority of at least 376 votes in parliament to take up the post.

He mustered 422 votes in favour — with 250 votes against, 47 abstentions and 10 spoiled ballots — which was a little short of the 480 legislators that make up the three main groups: the conservatives, the social-democrats and the liberals.

Ahead of the ballot, Mr Juncker made a heartfelt plea to revive both Europe’s economy and spirit as he laid out his vision for the future.

"Europe has lost much of its credibility, the gap between the EU and its citizens has grown," he said.

The vote paves the way to an extraordinary EU summit on Wednesday in Brussels that will allow EU leaders to complete a jigsaw of appointments for the next few years, including a new EU foreign policy chief as well as a successor to Herman van Rompuy as EU Council president.

Read more: Juncker wins parliamentary endorsement for powerful EU job | Europe | BDlive