EU parliament leader: we want Britain out as soon as possible

[malaise]

President Martin Schulz says speeding up of UK exit being considered after ‘continent taken hostage because of Tory party fight’
<snip>

Martin Schulz, the president of the European parliament, told the Guardian that EU lawyers were studying whether it was possible to speed up the triggering of article 50 of the Lisbon treaty – the untested procedure for leaving the union.

As the EU’s institutions scrambled to respond to the bodyblow of Britain’s exit, Schulz said uncertainty was “the opposite of what we need”, adding that it was difficult to accept that “a whole continent is taken hostage because of an internal fight in the Tory party”.

“I doubt it is only in the hands of the government of the United Kingdom,” he said. “We have to take note of this unilateral declaration that they want to wait until October, but that must not be the last word.”

Schulz’s comments were partially echoed by the president of the European commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, who said he there was no reason to wait until October to begin negotiating Britain’s departure from the European Union.

[roamer65]

1. Schulz is an incompetent asshole.

It is completely up to Britain the "if and when" of the decision to invoke Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty. He has no say in the matter. That is up to the British parliament to decide.

Read the damn treaty, Schulz, you moron.

[scscholar]

2. Very interesting

The EU should shed deadweight.

[Spider Jerusalem]

3. He's wrong, Article 50 is clear.

1. Any Member State may decide to withdraw from the Union in accordance with its own constitutional requirements.

2. A Member State which decides to withdraw shall notify the European Council of its intention.

http://www.lisbon-treaty.org/wcm/the-lisbon-treaty/treaty-on-European-union-and-comments/title-6-final-provisions/137-article-50.html

There has been no notification (and the referendum was advisory, not binding, and has not been voted on by Parliament). It has no legal force. Nothing is likely to happen for months.