Jean-Claude Juncker and Donald Tusk made statements on the conclusions of last week’s European Council meeting.
“A no-deal Brexit will never be our decision”, Tusk said.
“It was an emotional moment last week when I attended my last European Council,” admitted Juncker, before getting straight to the perennially preoccupying concept of Brexit.
Brexit negotiations have been a “waste of time and a waste of energy,” he said.
“I will always regret the UK’s decision to leave the union…but we have done all in power to prepare the EU for all eventualities” he went on, before adding that Westminster must ratify any Withdrawal Agreement before the EU does.
On the budget, Juncker asserted that the proposals by the Finnish president are not acceptable: “you cannot shape Europe with 1% GDP.”
On enlargement, Juncker like Tusk called not opening accession talks with North Macedonia and Albania a “huge mistake”.
“This is a grave error because it affects these two countries in their heart,” he said.
As for Turkey’s military incursion in Syria, it was the European People’s Party (EPP) President Manfred Weber who condemned it the most, adding he was “disappointed” that the council “did not take more robust measures” against Turkey who he called an “aggressor”.
“Turkey benefits from the customs union and the internal market and at the same, it’s an aggressor,” he said.
