Merkel assumes May will stick to Brexit talks plan
The German Chancellor has urged the UK to quickly launch Brexit talks with the EU after Theresa May's election setback.
Saturday 10 June 2017 07:18, UK
Angela Merkel has said she assumes Britain will stick to its Brexit negotiation plan after the shock election result.
Germany's Chancellor said she wanted to get to work quickly on talks over Britain's separation from the European Union and was ready for the negotiations to start on 19 June.
She added that Britain will still remain in Europe after Brexit, and that she wanted the country to remain a good partner.
Speaking in Mexico, Mrs Merkel told a news conference: "We are ready for the negotiations. We want to do it quickly, respecting the calendar.
"We were waiting for the election in Britain, but in the next few days these talks will begin. We will defend the interests of the 27 member states, and Britain will defend its own interests.
"At the same time, we say that we want to remain a good partner to Britain. Britain is part of Europe, even if it will no longer be part of the European Union."
Following a hung parliament in the snap election she called, Mrs May to deliver Brexit.
"This Government will guide the country through the crucial Brexit talks that begin in just 10 days and deliver on the will of the British people by taking the United Kingdom out of the European Union," she said on Friday outside Downing Street.
But without the strong mandate Mrs May had hoped for, and with no majority, the UK's strategy for negotiating Brexit has been thrown into uncertainty.
After the election result, European Council president Donald Tusk warned Britain might end up with no deal on its withdrawal arrangements or future trade if it did not open negotiations in time.
"We don't know when Brexit talks start. We know when they must end," said Mr Tusk.
"Do your best to avoid a 'no deal' as result of 'no negotiations'."
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Brussels' chief negotiator Michel Barnier said Brexit talks could wait until the new government was ready.
He said on Twitter: "Brexit negotiations should start when UK is ready; timetable and EU positions are clear. Let's put our minds together on striking a deal."
Guy Verhofstadt, the European Parliament's Brexit co-ordinator, described the election result as "yet another own goal" for the UK.
The former Belgian prime minister wrote on Twitter: "Yet another own goal, after Cameron now May, will make already complex negotiations even more complicated."
Ireland's prime minister-elect Leo Varadkar said the election result was an opportunity for Ireland.
"We must ensure that the Brexit talks are handled in a smooth and coherent manner to secure the best possible outcome for Ireland, for Europe and the UK," he said.
"The results of the UK election indicate to me that there is no strong mandate to proceed with a hard Brexit, which represents an opportunity for Ireland."
And Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon called on all parties to "join together" to keep the UK and Scotland in the single market.