UK government to skip EU summit

Boris Johnson won’t attend or send a representative in his place.

LONDON — Boris Johnson will not attend the European Council summit in Brussels on Thursday and Friday, nor will he send an official or envoy in his place, a spokesperson for the U.K. government said.

Polling currently suggests that the U.K. prime minister will be returned to Downing Street in a general election which is taking place Thursday. Votes will be counted overnight and the result will become clear in the early hours of Friday.

But even if Johnson's Conservatives win the election, he will not attend the EU leaders' gathering that is due to tackle issues including climate change. There had been speculation that the U.K.’s EU ambassador Tim Barrow would attend on behalf of the prime Minister, but a Downing Street spokesperson ruled that out.

“The EU are used to democratic events taking place during Council,” the spokesperson said.

The U.K. government has notified the EU that Johnson would not attend this week’s summit but has not yet indicated if it will be represented by someone else in the room, an EU official said.

“It’s up the U.K. and any other member state for that matter to appoint someone in the room to represent them,” the official said. “That’s the prerogative of every member state.”

Absences at European Council summits do occur occasionally and normally do not pose any legal problem, officials said.

If no party achieves an overall majority in the election a government is highly unlikely to be formed in time for it to send a representative to the Brussels meeting.

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Brexit is on the agenda for the second day of the summit, when leaders will also discuss the euro. On day 1 they will discuss climate change, the long-term EU budget and foreign relations.

It will be the first summit chaired by former Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel since he was elected European Council president in July, replacing Donald Tusk.

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