The EU leaders will meet for the first time, Wednesday morning without the presence of a British head of state in their midst in an effort to explore ways to hammer out a strategy for the Brexit. Following the official dinner, the EU leaders agreed to give the UK some leeway to sort out its domestic political turmoil and prepare for the official exit, but were also adamant that article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty should be invoked as soon as possible.
While, UK PM David Cameron has left the EU bloc, Scotland’s first Minister Nicola Sturgeon will meet with EP President Martin Schulz and EC President Jean Claude Juncker to press Scotland’s case for staying in the EU. The combative politician made it clear during her speech before the Scottish parliament that get will of the Scottish people was overwhelmingly to stay in the EU, and exiting would be contrary to this and ‘democratically unacceptable’.
During Tuesday nights emotional and forlorn dinner, Greek PM Alexis Tsipras dubbed the Brexit ‘a shock of historic proportions’, adding that it had changed the EU map. According to government sources, Tsipras underlined that the EU should not act as though it was caught off guard with the outcome of the referendum, claiming it was the culmination of a democratic deficit, the imposition of austerity measures and a social crisis that had lead to the rise of ethnocentrism and euro-skepticism. He reminded his colleagues that when Greece requested for some flexibility the response was ‘implementation, implementation, implementation or Grexit’, while Britain was treated differently. Tsipras argued that there should be no punitive actions against ny country regardless of whether they stay of leave.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel said the talks were serious and friendly, adding that Europe had to explore ways to address the new situation. On his part, French President Francois Hollande pointed out that the procedures of Britain’s exit should be activated as soon as possible, adding that Europe had to assume its responsibilities and act in its interests.
