Advertisement

Merkel convinced Britain will trigger Article 50 for Brexit

AFP
AFP - [email protected]
Merkel convinced Britain will trigger Article 50 for Brexit
Photo: DPA

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Sunday that she was convinced Britain will trigger Article 50, formalising its vote for Brexit and starting negotiations on its EU exit.

Advertisement

"I absolutely believe that the request will be made," Merkel told public broadcaster ZDF.

"The next step is that they will trigger Article 50 which they will want to do only once they have a new prime minister... I assume in principle they will do that," she said.

It will be down to the UK's new prime minister to trigger Article 50 of the EU's Lisbon Treaty, which starts a two-year clock running on a country's exit from the bloc after current PM David Cameron said he would leave the task to his successor.

British Conservatives must first choose their new leader - who will also become prime minister -- on September 9. They will choose between Interior Minister Theresa May and junior energy minister Andrea Leadsom.

Following the June 23 poll in which 17.4 million voters - 51.9 percent of the ballots cast -- backed Brexit, Merkel argued Britain needed time to decide on the way forward.

But shortly afterwards she joined European counterparts including French President Francois Hollande in calling for Britain to make a decisive and timely break from the EU.

More

Join the conversation in our comments section below. Share your own views and experience and if you have a question or suggestion for our journalists then email us at [email protected].
Please keep comments civil, constructive and on topic – and make sure to read our terms of use before getting involved.

Please log in to leave a comment.

See Also