Imagine: European Council President Tusk channels Lennon on Brexit
Written by News on 22/06/2017
The President of the European Council is channelling John Lennon with his views on Brexit.
In a news conference ahead of the European Summit in Brussels, Donald Tusk volunteered his thoughts on the prospect of the UK remaining in the European Union.
"Some of my British friends have even asked me whether Brexit could be reversed, and whether I could imagine an outcome where the UK stays part of the EU. I told them that in fact the European Union was built on dreams that seemed impossible to achieve. So, who knows?" Mr Tusk said.
"You may say I’m a dreamer, but I am not the only one." he added, borrowing the chorus from Lennon’s Imagine.
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The result of the UK General Election has reignited the Brexit debate with questions over the type of Brexit Britain wants.
"As we know, the Brexit negotiations started three days ago. It is a most difficult process, for which the EU is well prepared. We can hear different predictions, coming from different people, about the possible outcome of these negotiations: hard Brexit, soft Brexit or no deal," Mr Tusk said.
European leaders are watching British politics closely as negotiations for Britain’s EU withdrawal begin.
Speculation that a leadership challenge to Mrs May is possible raises questions about her authority and the certainty of the sort of Brexit she is proposing.
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In an interview ahead of the summit with a group of European newspapers, new French President Emmanuel Macron pledged "pragmatism and cooperation" with post-Brexit Britain.
"Pragmatism will determine our new relationship" he said, adding that working together on defence and counter-terrorism was vital because the UK and France have ‘linked destinies’.
Asked to elaborate on comments he made last week about the prospect of Britain deciding against Brexit, he said: "The door is open until the moment you walk through it. It’s not up to me to say it’s closed.
"But from the moment things are engaged with a timescale and an objective, it’s very hard to go back, we can’t lie to ourselves."
Mrs May arrived at the summit not with the large majority and strong mandate she had hoped he election would give her but instead in a much diminished position.
Her European counterparts can’t guarantee that she will be the UK leader in a few months, let alone that she will see the Brexit deal through.
Speaking as she arrived at the summit, Mrs May said there had been a "constructive" start to the Brexit talks.
"We will be going into negotiations. Those have started constructively," she told reporters.
"What I am going to be setting out today is clearly how the United Kingdom proposes to protect the rights of EU citizens living in the UK and see the rights of UK citizens living in Europe protected.
"That’s been an important issue. We’ve wanted it to be one of the early issues to be considered in the negotiations That is now the case. That work is starting."
German Chancellor Angela Merkel said building a future for the remaining member states took precedence over the Brexit talks.
"I want to say clearly that, for me, shaping the future for the 27 takes priority over the negotiations with Great Britain over withdrawal," she said.
"Naturally we will conduct these negotiations quickly and we will conduct them intensively. We will do everything to ensure that – as has been successfully done so far – the 27 states stick together.
"We want this negotiation to take place in a good spirit. We know that we will want to work with Great Britain later. But the clear focus must be on the future of the 27, so that we have the best results."
Meanwhile, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte has said the bloc wants to know "what Great Britain wants from Brexit".
He said: "I hope obviously that we will come to some form of continued membership or relation with the internal market, with the customs union."
"I think it’s in the interest of jobs in the United Kingdom. I am absolutely convinced United Kingdom will be hit, it’s economy, the position of the pound, very hard."
(c) Sky News 2017: Imagine: European Council President Tusk channels Lennon on Brexit
