LONDON — Britain is heading for a no-deal Brexit if MPs reject Theresa May's withdrawal agreement, Emmanuel Macron has said.
"In the case of a no vote, we would go towards a no deal," the French president said at a summit of EU leaders in Brussels.
"It's absolutely essential to be clear at this moment."
Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz also said a no-deal Brexit would become "more realistic" should parliament reject the deal again next week.
MPs are due to vote for a third time on Theresa May's proposed Brexit plan early next week after it was rejected twice.
Prime Minister Theresa May has requested a short extension of Article 50 until the end of June to avoid leaving without a deal on March 29, which would need to be ratified by all EU leaders.
But European Council President Donald Tusk on Monday indicated that a short extension would be conditional on MPs approving a deal next week, with a final decision expected to be taken by leaders of 27 EU member states on Thursday or Friday.
Macron, who held a bilateral meeting with May on Thursday afternoon, suggested afterwards that EU leaders might be open to a longer extension if May's government changed course.
"There must be a deep political change for there to be anything else other than a technical extension," he said.
Macron's warning came as business groups urged the prime minister to