The start of Brexit talks, which were scheduled to begin on 19 June, could be delayed following the lack of a clear winner in the general election, senior Brussels figures have indicated.
Following the election result, which saw the Conservatives win only 318 out of 650 seats and fall short of a majority, the European Commission’s chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier tweeted the Brexit negotiations “should start when UK is ready; timetable and EU positions are clear”.
“Let's put our minds together on striking a deal,” he said.
Prime minister Theresa May triggered the Article 50 process for the UK to leave the European Union on 29 March, starting the two-year period during which the UK and the EU must agree the terms of an exit deal and lay the framework for a future trading relationship.
EU Council president Donald Tusk added it was now unclear when the discussions would begin.
“We don't know when Brexit talks start. We know when they must end. Do your best to avoid a "no deal" as result of ‘no negotiations’,” he tweeted.
European Commission president Jean Claude Juncker also confirmed that the bloc was ready to start negotiations.
“I hope that the British will be able to form as soon as possible a stable government,” he said. “I don’t think that things now have become easier but we are ready.”
During the election campaign, it was reported that Brussels was prepared to postpone the start of the Brexit negotiations if Jeremy Corbyn became prime minister and needed more time to prepare for the historic talks.