Spanish PM gives UK stern Brexit message: report

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has handed out a stern message regarding Britain's departure from the European Union, Spanish newspaper El Pais reported on Friday.

Sanchez was one of the leaders at the meeting of the European Council on Thursday, who insisted that the British Parliament has to decide whether it supports a deal for the so-called Brexit or run the risk of crashing out of the EU without an agreement, it said.

The leaders at the European Council had agreed to grant Britain a delay to Brexit until May 22 if Britain lawmakers finally support the Brexit agreement proposed by British Prime Minister Theresa May.

However, if May fails to win Parliamentary support for the deal which had been rejected twice already, Britain will have to leave the EU on April 12.

"We are at a critical moment in European construction. History will judge the events of the coming weeks," said Sanchez, who handed a clear warning to May.

"Spanish citizens in the UK and British citizens in Spain must know that the Spanish government is ready for a disorderly exit," he said in statements published by El Pais.

A study published by the Bank of Spain earlier this week estimated that a "no-deal" Brexit would cost Spain around 9 billion euros (10.2 billion U.S. dollars) and knock around 0.8 percent off Spain's GDP over the next five years.

However, patience has clearly run out with the UK and elections for the European Parliament are scheduled for the end of May. Sanchez said that the unity of the EU is more important that the UK leaving the bloc with an agreement.

"We have to safeguard the EU's legal safety, with or without the UK's participation in the elections, and we need to protect institutions like the European Parliament," he commented.

(ASIA PACIFIC DAILY)