EU leaders also warned that it would be difficult to conclude the post-Brexit free trade agreement by deadline of the end of next year, which Mr Johnson has vowed not to extend. Photo / AP
EU leaders also warned that it would be difficult to conclude the post-Brexit free trade agreement by deadline of the end of next year, which Mr Johnson has vowed not to extend. Photo / AP
European Union leaders hailed Boris Johnson's landslide election victory on Friday, as Angela Merkel said his "strong mandate" will mean he can more effectively negotiate with the bloc in difficult trade talks which must be finished by the end of next year.
The heads of state and government urged Mr Johnson to use his majority to forge the closest possible trading relationship with the bloc but warned Britain would be expected to follow EU rules and regulations.
Leo Varadkar, the Irish prime minister, hinted that Mr Johnson could be prepared to do just that, saying the two men were "in a similar space", as Denmark's prime minister Mette Frederiksen said the EU would demand access to UK fishing waters as a condition of the trade deal.
EU leaders also warned that it would be difficult to conclude the post-Brexit free trade agreement by deadline of the end of next year, which Mr Johnson has vowed not to extend despite the risk of exiting without a trade deal in January 2021 if talks fail.
They insisted Britain would not be allowed to gain an unfair competitive advantage by undercutting EU standards after Brexit, which should now happen on 31 January, 11 months before the deadline.
The German Chancellor, who has reportedly backed the idea of an early 'stage one deal' with the UK by December, congratulated Mr Johnson on his "impressive victory" at the end of a European Council summit in Brussels.
Angela Merkel said Britain had to weigh the advantages and disadvantages of Brexit at an EU summit after the general election. Photo / AP
"Our most difficult,sticky issue is we have to negotiate speedily," she said before pointing out a decision on whether to extend the trade talks deadline of the end of 2020 would need to be made in June.
"We will put all our energy and unity into accomplishing this objective. We want an excellent partnership with Great Britain," she added. "It is good to have a prime minister who has a strong mandate and is able to negotiate with us."
But she warned that with the UK now a competitor on the EU's doorstep, Mr Johnson would need to carefully consider the costs of leaving the EU's trade orbit. "Great Britain will have to carefully weigh the advantages and disadvantages of leaving," she said.
Emmanuel Macron, the French president, insisted that a close trading relationship would only be possible if Britain hewed close to Brussels's rules.
"Let me be clear, in the absence of regulatory convergence we will not be able to conclude an ambitious trade deal," he said, "My message to the UK is the more loyal we are vis-a-vis to one another, the closer relationship we have.
"But do not believe you can have a strong trading relationship, maximum access to the single market with different regulations."
The French president, Emmanuel Macron, insisted that a close trading relationship would only be possible if Britain hewed close to Brussels's rules. Photo / Getty Images
"If the UK wants to be present on EU grounds, it has to follow EU rules. Nothing has changed in our position," Xavier Bettel, the prime minister of Luxembourg, said.
"I believe that people voted for clarity. Even Remainers are fed up in the UK. I believe that even Remainers voted for Boris Johnson. As of now, there are no excuses not to deliver." Leo Varadkar, the Irish prime minister, said he anticipated a "mighty" trade partnership between the UK and the EU that would ensure quota and tariff-free access for both sides, with mechanisms to ensure neither side could undercut the other.
"And after my conversations with Mr Johnson, I think he's probably in a similar space, so it's a case of now getting on with it," he said.
Mr Varadkar said that deadline was "enormously ambitious" but Mr Johnson's clear majority made "a big difference".
"We are ready to defend the European interest," warned Charles Michel, the president of the European Council. He said Brussels would look dimly on any British efforts to undercut EU standards for a competitive advantage.
Andrej Babiš, the prime minister of the Czech Republic, said Brexit was "a matter of regret for Europe".
"It's a win of a charismatic leader. I don't know what [Labour leader] Mr. Corbyn is thinking about, but perhaps he should step down," he said.
"We are ready to defend the European interest," warned Charles Michel, the president of the European Council. He said Brussels would look dimly on any British efforts to undercut EU standards for a competitive advantage.
Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission, said the EU had three aims for the trade negotiations, ""Zero tariffs, zero quotas and zero dumping." "The time is very short, we have 11 months to negotiate a broad field," Mrsvon der Leyen said. "And it's not only about trade, but we are also speaking about education, transport, fisheries, many, many other fields are in the portfolio to be negotiated."
She said the commission would prepare a mandate for the trade negotiations to be ready for February.
"These are talks with a complexity on par with the Withdrawal Agreement," warned Mark Rutte, the prime minister of the Netherlands.
Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Löfven said that Boris Johnson's election meant there would now be a rush to complete the trade talks. "We don't have much time. Boris Johnson has been very clear that he doesn't want to stretch this out," he told state broadcaster SVT.
Giuseppe Conte, Italy's prime minister, welcomed Mr Johnson's win, but warned there would be "hard" negotiations over the trade deal. "We are tight on time but we believe that the preparatory work will enable us to reach a conclusion easily," he said.
Mateusz Morawiecki, the Polish prime minister, said the triumph was "important because it will lead to a stabilisation of the political situation in the UK."
The EU-27 has been frustrated by the inability of parliament to support a single course of action over the years of Brexit negotiations, which saw the House of Commons reject Theresa May's deal three times.
"We finally have some clarity with regards to the future of the EU," Andrej Plenković, the prime minister of Croatia, said, "After 31st of January, the UK will probably be outside the EU."
