“Leaders made it crystal clear that access to the single market requires acceptance of all four freedoms – including freedom of movement”, said Mr Tusk.
Advertisement
But while Britain does not have “months to meditate”, Juncker said that Britain could activate the Lisbon Treaty’s Article 50 exit procedures shortly after Cameron’s successor takes office, as early as September.
The freedom of movement is thought to have been among the sticking points for the Leave camp, which before the referendum argued the United Kingdom would be able to contol its borders in a more assertive manner if it left the EU.
Mr Cameron has said this is a task for his successor.
David Cameron told the full European Council meeting on Tuesday night that concerns about immigration were the key factor behind the country’s vote for Brexit and pushed for reforms to freedom of movement rules, which are now a condition of single market access.
This view was echoed by Taoiseach Enda Kenny following the meeting: “The closer the relationships the United Kingdom are going to have with the European Union the better for us”.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel doused any hopes that Britain might yet reverse its decision, warning against “wishful thinking”.
Without mentioning Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump – who opposes the plan – he said: “We’ve had times throughout our history where anti-immigration sentiment is exploited by demagogues”.
“After meeting thousands of people in the course of the campaign, I can tell you that the number one issue was control – a sense that British democracy was being undermined by the European Union system, and that we should restore to the people that vital power: to kick out their rulers at elections, and to choose new ones”, he wrote in his regular column.
The parliamentary session in London also saw fiery clashes between Cameron and opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn, who is refusing to resign in the face of a revolt from members of his own party, as the repercussions from the Leave vote continue to unfold.
Divisions between the European Union founders and newer countries in the east threaten to complicate any bold new plans at Wednesday’s meeting.
She argued Sunday this relative neutrality would help her build consensus between the 17 million who voted for a British exit, or “Brexit”, and the 16 million who voted to remain in the June 23 referendum.
European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker (R) and Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte attend a press conference at the EU headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, June 28, 2016.
“A crucial task is to identify the maximum level of European Union market access, consistent with the need for some control on migration”, he said in a statement on behalf of the influential Treasury Select Committee.
“It’s quite clear they will have to unify around a position that will make it quite painful for the U.K.to negotiate this exit so that everybody sees what happens to you if you try to do the same thing”, Techau said.
Highlighting the seismic shock from last week’s referendum, one person who was in Brussels however was Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, who said she was “utterly determined” to see Scotland remain in the EU.
Advertisement
Work and Pensions Minister, Stephen Crabb, and Right-Wing Former Defence Minister, Liam Fox, are also expected to run.
