French President: Brexit Cannot Be Cancelled or Delayed

Following a meeting with British Prime Minister David Cameron, French President Francois Hollande made comments demanding the quick removal of Britain from the European Union, saying that the EU needs a quick timetable to avert the ongoing “uncertainty” over the Brexit.

Hollande insisted there was no possibility of delay, let alone of allowing Britain to cancel its planned departure from the European Union, saying that the decision was made and the British “have to face the consequences” of voting to leave.

Hollande’s comments are in stark contrast to those of British leaders, including front-runners in the upcoming party election, who say they don’t intend to trigger Article 50 to begin the process of departing at least until the end of the year. Other officials have suggested the terms of the exit should be negotiated entirely before the Article 50 invocation.

Some EU officials are keen to make the Brexit as hard on Britain as possible hoping to dissuade any other nations from similar referenda. The panic in EU financial markets since the vote has also added to the sense that some clarity is needed going forward.

At the same time, there doesn’t appear to be any practical way the EU can “force” Britain to leave in a timely fashion, and with British politics an absolute mess right now, uncertainty is likely to be the order of the day for some time.