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The Prime Minister announced he intends to suspend Parliament before a new Queen’s Speech on October 14 in an apparent move to restrict Remainer MPs from blocking a no-deal Brexit. Commons leader Jacob Rees-Mogg has been dispatched to Balmoral to ask the Queen to agree the strategy during a meeting of the Privy Council later. Onlookers in Europe have voiced concern that Mr Johnson’s latest move demonstrates that the Prime Minister is intent on forcing through a no-deal Brexit.

Nathalie Loiseau, a French MEP and close ally of Emmanuel Macron, said: "We could see a Brexit coming without agreement. "Here, it is moreover a Brexit without debate that looms. "What disease does British democracy suffer from for fear of debate before making one of the most important decisions in its history." Norbert Roettgen, chairman of the Bundestag’s foreign affairs committee, said: “Johnson argues that respect for democracy dictates implementing Brexit ‘do or die’ on October 31. “As a fellow parliamentarian and democrat I wonder: how does respect for democracy go together with suspending parliament?”

Boris Johnson plans to prorogue Parliament in latest Brexit strategy

Carsten Schatz, a left-wing member of Berlin’s state parliament, said: “In the UK they simply suspend the House of Commons so that Boris Johnson can push his no-deal Brexit through.” Green German MP Franziska Branter said: “‘Take back control’… So this is what democracy a la Boris Johnson looks like.” German MP Macro Buschmann said: "Hard to believe that Boris Johnson wants to remove the parliament of one of the oldest democracies. "First the announcement of the no-deal Brexit, now the attempt to end the long history of parliamentarianism in Great Britain. "A pile of shards is on the horizon." MUST READ: MPs launch legal challenge against Johnson’s Parliament suspension

Political strategist Mathias Richel, who founded Richel Stauss, said: “Boris Johnson now wants to suspend the British Parliament until mid-October. “No-deal Brexit is therefore getting more and more likely. But, why is it so quiet on London’s streets? The executive suspends the legislative? Gosh!” In Brussels, EU officials have vowed to not let Mr Johnson's latest manoeuvre to allow the bloc to be blamed for a no-deal Brexit. A source said: "Whatever happens, the EU was never going to change its position because no deal becomes more credible or opponents of no deal would get better organised."



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The European Commission has refused to speculate on Mr Johnson's strategy, but said the Prime Minister and Jean-Claude Juncker are working together to prevent no deal. After a phone call, the two leaders have vowed to remain in contact, but no plans for their first face-to-face showdown have been organised. A Commission spokeswoman said: "Our working assumption is Brexit should occur on October 31 and that should happen with a deal. "For that to happen, the earlier we see workable proposals the better."

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