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There are now fewer than 60 days until Britain is slated to leave the European Union. But while Prime Minister Theresa May yesterday united her fractious Conservative Party behind one more attempt at negotiations with the EU, a resolution to Brexit looks no closer to reality.

Ms. May on Tuesday promised to reopen the withdrawal agreement with the EU in order to find 鈥渁lternative arrangements鈥� to the 鈥淚rish backstop鈥� 鈥� a fallback solution for keeping the UK-Irish border open if negotiations drag out. The backstop has been bitterly opposed by the most pro-Brexit Tories, so May鈥檚 promise helped bring them into line with her Brexit proposal.

But that proposal shows little likelihood of success. Top EU officials like French President Emmanuel Macron say the withdrawal agreement 鈥� which May herself negotiated and had promised was final 鈥� is not going to be reopened. And others said Britain wasn鈥檛 being clear about its concrete goal. The British government 鈥渕ust now say quickly what it wants, because time is running out,鈥� said German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas.

Though some Brexiters view the EU鈥檚 position as a bluff, Europe has shown no indication of giving ground. That leaves May鈥檚 prospects in Brussels looking grim. For while she may have kept her party from fracturing over Brexit, the possibility of a no-deal Brexit 鈥� something May says 鈥渨ould be a calamity鈥澛犫�撀爏eems no less likely.

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