Brexit vote divides Europe's leaders as splits emerge on timing of talks

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Divisions are opening among Europe’s leaders over how to handle Britain’s exit from the union, as the European parliament president called on the UK to “deliver now” on its Brexit vote but a key aide to Angela Merkel insisted London should “take the time to reconsider the consequences”.

As government and EU advisers on Sunday began preparing next week’s crunch summit, the US secretary of state, John Kerry, is due to fly to Brussels and London on Monday for urgent talks. Kerry urged both Britain and the EU to “minimise disruption” by negotiating the divorce responsibly.

Martin Schulz, the president of the EU parliament, led the call for formal exit talks to be launched as early as Tuesday. “We expect the British government to deliver now,” he told Germany’s Bild am Sonntag. “The summit on Tuesday is the appropriate moment to do so.”

Cameron is due to explain the UK’s position at a summit dinner on Tuesday night but will then leave, taking no part in the talks with leaders of the bloc’s 27 remaining members on Wednesday.

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/jun/26/eu-founding-members-britain-agree-quick-divorce-europe-exit

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1. Europe to push for quickie British divorce as US Secretary Kerry flies in

European leaders embark this week on a frantic drive to push Britain into a quick divorce, with top US diplomat John Kerry rushing to join discussions as the "Brexit" crisis goes global.

Germany's powerful Chancellor Angela Merkel will host the leaders of France, Italy and the European Union in Berlin on Monday amid fears Britain's vote to leave will create a domino effect in member states that are skeptical of the EU.

In what promises to be one of the most bitter summits in the EU's history, British Prime Minister David Cameron will then face huge pressure in Brussels on Tuesday to immediately trigger the two-year exit process.

But Cameron, who has said he will resign by October and leave the negotiations to his successor, is to be left out on the second day of the summit on Wednesday when the other 27 EU leaders meet without him.

http://www.pri.org/stories/2016-06-26/europe-push-quickie-british-divorce-kerry-flies

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2. France's Macron wants EU-wide referendum, far-left slams Hollande 'nervousness'

France's economy minister said on Saturday that the European Union needs a new road map that should be devised in consultation with voters and then put to a referendum, as Paris sought for ways to handle the fallout at home from the Brexit vote.

The British people's vote to leave the EU has deepened fears among mainstream politicians across Europe about the rise of anti-establishment parties, particularly in France, where the far-right, eurosceptic National Front is increasingly popular.

"We've never had the courage to organize a true European referendum in its real sense. This next project must give it that strength," Emmanuel Macron told a conference.

"We would first build this new project with European peoples and then submit this new road map, this new project, to a referendum," he said, adding that the idea was to have one single referendum across the bloc.

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-britain-eu-europe-macron-idUSKCN0ZB0GT