Several British party leaders expressed dismay over the Brexit deal that U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson and European Union (EU) leaders tentatively agreed on during Thursday's summit.
According to the Associated Press, while Johnson finally achieved a tentative Brexit agreement with Brussels, his own government may be a bigger problem for the proposed deal to finally get through.
Some British leaders reiterated that they will vote against the deal. Another huge obstacle is the apparent opposition from the Northern Irish party, raising concerns about whether Johnson will collect the necessary votes for the agreement's ratification.
EU leaders rallied behind the tentative Brexit deal that would see a soft Irish border, as opposed to the initial proposal by former PM Theresa May. It is now up to the British Parliament to unite and avoid a no-deal Brexit come October 31.
While Johnson said after Thursday's progress that he is confident his Parliament will vote for the better good of the U.K. as well as its ties with the EU, it is worth noting that May's deal was historically rejected thrice.
European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker himself announced after the summit that a tentative deal has been set in place. However, opposition parties, including the Labour Leader, Jeremy Corbyn, took a hard-line stance against the agreement.
While the British Parliament seeks a potential extension should Johnson's deal be rejected on Saturday's special meeting, Juncker previously noted that there are only three choices left for Great Britain: make Johnson's deal official, leave the bloc without an agreement, or completely revoke the long-overdue British exit.
Despite months of tensions, Brussels has been clear since day one that it hopes for a two-sided deal that would benefit both the U.K. and the bloc. European Council President Donald Tusk said the EU's "door will always be open" in case Britain decides to return in the future.
French President Emmanuel Macron noted that while the tentative deal is a progressive step forward, Johnson still has to work extra hard to get the British House of Commons to agree to the agreement, The Guardian reported.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel also echoed Macron's statements. She pointed out that the recent developments in the highly-elusive pursuit of a Brexit deal were an "opportunity" to establish good ties with the U.K. even if the country has chosen to leave.
Great Britain joined the European Union 46 years ago. The United Kingdom is scheduled to bid the bloc farewell on October 31, with little chances of getting an extension should Johnson experience the same rejection May had to go through with Parliament.
