Postponing Brexit to December 31 of this year would have to be approved by all EU member states. According to Foreign Minister Tomáš Petříček, last week’s letter from British Prime Minister Boris Johnson can be considered a request for postponement, although Johnson did not sign it.
“If there is a request, we should postpone Brexit for two months. We will not be the ones to block it,” Petříček stated.
According to Interior Minister Jan Hamáček, the Czech government is also prepared for the option of a no-deal Brexit. To prepare for this possibility, Czech diplomats increased the number of employees at consulates in London and Manchester. More than 100,000 Czechs who live in the UK can contact a crisis line. They can also apply for residential status in Britain and be subject to the same rights and rules after Brexit.
Hamáček also said that some changes can be still expected. For instance, when the British citizens arrive in the Czech Republic, they will be unable to use the exit for citizens of the European Union at Czech airports. After Brexit, Czechs should be able to fly to Britain with just their identification card but the interior minister added, “We [still] recommend citizens to have a passport with them.”
