EU chief urges Britain to clarify position on exit move urgently

British Prime Minister David Cameron (left) stands with European Union Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker prior to a meeting at the European Union Commission headquarter in Brussels on June 28, 2016. Juncker on Tuesday urged Cameron to clarify quickly when Britain intends to leave the EU. PHOTO | AFP

What you need to know:

  • European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker on Tuesday said there can be no negotiation on future ties before London formally applies to exit.
  • London has to invoke the so-called Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty, starting the clock on two years to negotiate the terms of the exit.

BRUSSELS, Tuesday

European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker on Tuesday urged Prime Minister David Cameron to clarify quickly when Britain intends to leave the EU, saying there can be no negotiation on future ties before London formally applies to exit.

“I will see the prime minister later this morning... to ask him to clarify the situation as rapidly as possible. We cannot get into a period of extended uncertainty,” Mr Juncker told the European Parliament, adding: “No notification, no negotiation”.

Following Thursday’s referendum in which a majority of Britons voted to leave the European Union, London has to invoke the so-called Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty, starting the clock on two years to negotiate the terms of the exit.

But Mr Cameron, due in Brussels later Tuesday for probably his last summit of EU leaders, has said that London will not take this step yet, saying on Monday that Britain needs first to “determine the kind of relationship we want with the EU.”

Mr Juncker however, echoing the leaders of Germany, France and Italy after their meeting in Berlin on Monday, said that there could not even be informal discussions until London has formally filed for divorce from the 28-nation bloc.

“It cannot be that people now secretly seek to start negotiations,” he said. “It is we who must decide what happens, not just those who wish to leave the European Union.”

Heckling Mr Juncker in the European Parliament at one point in his speech was Nigel Farage, head of the UK Independence Party and a key “Brexit” proponent — and an MEP.

“I am really surprised you are here,” Mr Juncker said. “You are fighting for the exit — why are you here?”

“It’s a pleasure,” Mr Farage retorted.

Meanwhile, piling on the pressure, Standard & Poor’s stripped Britain late Monday of its top-notch debt rating following Thursday’s Brexit referendum. Even England’s footballers could not lift the mood, crashing out of Euro 2016 at the hands of minnows Iceland.

Mr Cameron, who had fought to remain in the European Union and has said he will step down, told parliament on Monday that he will not yet start the two-year countdown on leaving the EU by invoking the so-called Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty.

“Before we do that we need to determine the kind of relationship we want with the EU. And that is rightly something for the next prime minister and their cabinet to decide,” Mr Cameron said. His successor is not expected to be appointed until September.

However in Berlin on Monday, Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Francois Hollande and Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi made crystal clear that they want London to get down to business to avoid more uncertainty. There will be no informal or formal talks on the exit of Britain until an application has been filed to leave the European Union,” Ms Merkel said.
A more blunt Hollande told London to “not waste time”.

US Secretary of State John Kerry, who together with President Barack Obama and a host of other world leaders wanted Britain to stay in the EU, on Monday urged both sides not to allow anger to poison their divorce proceedings.

“It is absolutely essential that nobody loses their head, nobody goes off half-cocked, people don’t start ginning up scatterbrain or revengeful premises,” Mr Kerry said in Brussels before heading to London.
The referendum result has also caused an earthquake in British politics, forcing not only Mr Cameron to quit but also leaving opposition Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn fighting for his political life.

Around 20 members of Mr Mr Corbyn’s shadow Cabinet have resigned and the result of a secret ballot of Labour MPs on a no-confidence motion on his leadership is expected to be announced later Tuesday.