Humiliated Theresa May is in Brussels for talks with EU leaders today – as Nigel Farage revelled in his election triumph and told her Brexit must happen by October 31 at the latest.
A grim-faced PM insisted she would keep fulfilling her ‘obligations’ despite being forced to announce her departure from Downing Street last week.
But Mr Farage, who is also in Brussels today for separate discussions, told reporters the next Tory leader should say the UK is leaving in October come what may, and give the EU five months to come to the table with a counter-offer.
Bolstered by the trouncing the Brexit Party inflicted on the Tories and Labour, securing an extraordinary 29 MEPs, he said: ‘We give an ultimatum to Brussels rather than the other way round’.
Arriving at her final summit as Tory leader Mrs May said the results were ‘deeply disappointing’ for her party and showed ‘the importance of actually delivering on Brexit’.
She said: ‘I think the best way to do that is with a deal, but it will be for my successor and for Parliament to find a way forward to get a consensus and I hope those election results will focus Parliament on the need to deliver Brexit’.
European leaders are gathering in Brussels to choose the successor to Jean-Claude Juncker as President of the EU Commission – but they will also be keen to grill her behind the scenes on the political manoeuvring in the UK over Brexit.
Mr Juncker revealed his first meeting was with Mrs May and said he was ‘crystal clear’ that Brexit talks are over with Britain, adding: ‘There will be no renegotiation’.
The premier has also met EU council president Donald Tusk, who is thought to have delivered a similar tough message.
A grim-faced PM insisted she would keep fulfilling her ‘obligations’ despite being forced to announce her departure from Downing Street
Mrs May is in Brussels for what will be her last summit as Tory leader after she quit last Friday
Mr Farage was also in the Belgian capital in the wake of the stunning showing by his new Brexit Party, which topped the poll
Outgoing President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker (pictured) said there will be no Brexit negotiation
Mr Farage was also in the Belgian capital in the wake of the stunning showing by his new Brexit Party, which topped the poll.
Fresh from his re-election as an MEP, Mr Farage demanded that the next Conservative leader send an ‘ultimatum’ to Brussels that the UK will be leaving at the end of October deal or No Deal.
Mr Farage is in Brussels forming new alliances after the election of 29 new Brexit Party MEPs
France and Germany appeared on a collision course over who should hold one of the European Union’s most coveted jobs, after weekend elections across the 28-nation bloc redrew Europe’s political map.
Arriving in Brussels for an EU summit, French President Emmanuel Macron virtually ruled out the prospect of German politician Manfred Weber replacing Jean-Claude Juncker as the new president of the bloc’s executive arm, the European Commission.
Mr Juncker’s term at the commission, which proposes EU laws and makes sure they are enforced, is due to end on October 31 and leaders from across the continent are gathering in Brussels to debate who should succeed him.
Mr Macron told reporters that his preferred choice for the post would be someone who has ‘experience either in their country or in Europe that allows them to have credibility and savoir faire’.
That appeared to be a swipe at Mr Weber, who has never served in government or a major institution such as the commission.
Mr Weber, 46, has led the conservative European People’s Party group – the biggest group in the EU assembly – since 2014.
Mr Macron said Denmark’s Margrethe Vestager, who is the commissioner responsible for competition matters, would be a suitable replacement, as would Michel Barnier, the Frenchman who has led the EU’s Brexit negotiations.
Getting Mr Barnier to head the commission would mark a fillip for Mr Macron following the strong showing of the French far-right in Sunday’s elections.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel, whose ruling coalition suffered losses at the polls, notably to the Greens, continues to back Mr Weber.
‘I as a member of the EPP family will of course work to support Manfred Weber,’ she said.
Theresa May arrives for a European Union (EU) summit at EU Commission Headquarters in Brussels – her last as Tory leader
The PM’s premiership has been broken by her inability to deliver Brexit – with candidates looking to succeed her all promising to fix it
The PM bows her head as she heads towards the press pack on her first public engagement since quitting in tears outside No 10 last week
Theresa May said it was now for the next Prime Minister to negotiate with the EU after she failed to deliver Brexit
Both the EPP and centre-left Socialists got battered in Sunday’s elections as voters concerned about climate change, migration or security turned instead to the Greens, the pro-business ALDE group – of which Mr Macron’s party will now be a member – or far-right parties.
As a result, it is unclear what workable majority will emerge in the European Parliament when politicians gather in July.
EU leaders are also expected to discuss other top jobs in the bloc during their dinner later, including who will replace Donald Tusk as European Council president.
Mr Tusk, who chairs the meetings of EU leaders, is also due to stand down from his job at the end of October.
EU leaders are also expected to discuss who will replace Federica Mogherini as the bloc’s next high representative – essentially the foreign minister – and who will succeed Mario Draghi as the next head of the European Central Bank.
The leaders want to move quickly and hope to be able to name candidates to the top posts at their next summit on June 20-21.
‘We want to find a solution as quickly as possible, because the European Parliament will meet at the beginning of July and it would of course be desirable if there were already a proposal at that point,’ Mrs Merkel said earlier in Berlin.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel shakes hands with French President Emmanuel Macron – but the pair are said to be on a collision course on who will replace Jean-CLaude Juncker
Early signs indicate that the process will take some time, and that a power struggle between the EU Council, which represents national governments, and the parliament is imminent.
No clear candidate for Mr Juncker’s post emerged from a meeting on Tuesday morning among party group leaders at the parliament.
Instead, they insisted only that the person be chosen from among the candidates put forward by the parliamentary blocs.
This puts them at odds with Mr Macron, who is insisting that EU leaders should decide on who will head the commission.
Favourites for the top jobs are likely to be traded off to maximise influence over the world’s biggest trading bloc. Nationality and gender are certain to influence the final choice.