The European Union leaders have agreed that Brexit is irreversible in a summit where accusations were exchanged on both sides about who bore responsibility for the decision, and pressure was exerted on London to activate the divorce process as soon as possible.

British Prime Minister David Cameron said after attending his last European Council summit that he would have preferred that the referendum result was different, but maintained that he did not regret holding the vote, which will separate the UK from the EU after 43 years of membership.

He said other EU members showed “respect” but also “regret and sadness” over Britain’s decision.

During a dinner on Tuesday, Cameron told his European counterparts that the referendum result was linked to the fact that the EU had failed to respond to concerns about internal migration, access to the internal market and free movement of European workers.

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker and European Council President Donald Tusk, however, pointed to the campaign against the EU in the UK as the main reason for the result.

Meanwhile, German Chancellor Angela Merkel noted the irreversibility of the UK’s decision to leave the EU and stated that it is not the moment for wishful thinking but to look at the reality of the situation.

“I see no way to reverse this,” she said.

French President Francois Hollande agreed that he could not imagine any British government not respecting a democratic decision of its citizens, although “they will have to face the consequences for some time.”

“This isn’t to punish the British people,” he said, but stressed the need to prevent Europe from being affected as he called for “clarity, speed and unity” in the negotiation process.

Some countries such as Germany are, however, in favor of giving London some time to take in the referendum result, but without excessively prolonging the process.

The German chancellor said that in her opinion Britain has understood the message that it cannot overly delay triggering Article 50 of the Lisbon treaty, which opens the separation procedure, since the Conservative Party has already announced that the new prime minister will be unveiled in September and not in October as Cameron first suggested.

As for the future links with the EU, Cameron said he hoped for the “closest possible relationship” after Britain’s withdrawal from the bloc on issues such as trade, cooperation and security.

He also said that although the country leaves the union, “Britain will not turn its back on Europe” because these countries are “friends, partners and allies.”

He acknowledged, however, that the UK cannot access the EU’s single market without also accepting the freedom of movement of EU workers.

In this regard, Juncker was surprised that the UK is completely unable to communicate its plan after the victory of Brexit to its EU partners.

Leaders of 27 EU states will meet Wednesday for the first time without Cameron to hold a first debate on the post-Brexit future of the European project, which will continue in another informal summit in early September in Bratislava. EFE

Brussels, Jun 29 (EFE)