You're listening to a podcast from the BBC World Service. This is Hard Talk with me, Stephen Sacker.

Thanks for downloading this edition of the programme. I do hope you enjoy it.

Welcome to Hard Talk on the BBC World Service with me, Stephen Sacker. My guest today is a Belgian member of the European Parliament who knows all too well what a dominant

and draining impact Brexit has had on the European Union's political agenda.

Philippe Lombets is a two-term MEP from the Green Party who sits on the European Parliament's

Brexit Steering Committee. He's had to follow every twist and turn of Britain's protracted and

messy departure from the EU Club, and it is not over yet. Prime Minister Theresa May is

making another last-minute bid to nail down parliamentary approval for a Brexit deal. She's

already been granted one deadline extension by the EU 27, and now she needs another

to avoid a no-deal Brexit. Should the EU again give Britain more time to get its act together,

or is it time to put an end to the uncertainty, even at the cost of economic pain? Well, Philippe Lombets joins me now from Brussels.

Welcome to Hard Talk. My pleasure. You, like so many MEPs and Brussels politicians, members

of the Commission, have to watch what is going on in Westminster, all of the political chaos in London.

Do you have patience left or has it run out?

Well, frankly speaking, when I compare with the degree of patience you need to face inaction

against climate change or against rising inequalities, Brexit is just an annoyance and it doesn't come close in terms

of a sense of urgency and necessity. So yes, we have to cope with that. But frankly speaking, I try to

keep my focus on the important things. Well, you sound extraordinarily sanguine, but many others do

not. Let me quote you words just from a couple of days ago from the French president, Emmanuel Macron.

He said, the EU cannot be permanently held hostage to the resolution of a political crisis in the UK.

His temper is clearly fraying. Yeah, I agree, but I agree with a statement.

I'm just saying that we should keep our nerves. As the Brits say, keep calm and carry on,

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