EU Fears Brexit Delay, Uncertainty After Shock UK Vote

EU Fears Brexit Delay, Uncertainty After Shock UK Vote
Britain's former Home Secretary and current Prime Minister, Theresa May, as she arrives to attend a cabinet meeting at 10 Downing Street, in London, Tuesday, July 12, 2016. AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth
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BRUSSELS—European Union leaders fear Prime Minister Theresa May’s shock loss of her parliamentary majority raises the risk of failure in Brexit negotiations due to start this month that will usher Britain out of the EU in March 2019.

There was concern that a weak minority administration and a possible leadership challenge to May after her electoral gamble backfired might mean further delay to the start of talks scheduled for June 19. But the prime minister said her new government would now prepare for discussions in 10 days time.

However, Guenther Oettinger, the German member of the EU executive, was among those warning that a weak British leader may be a problem once talks start. “We need a government that can act,” he told German radio. “With a weak negotiating partner, there’s a danger the negotiations will turn out badly.”

Oettinger’s boss, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, said his Brexit negotiating team under Michel Barnier was ready: “The clock is ticking,” Juncker said.

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker during the joint press statements on the sidelines of the NATO Summit at a hotel in Warsaw, Poland, on July 8, 2016. (Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images)
European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker during the joint press statements on the sidelines of the NATO Summit at a hotel in Warsaw, Poland, on July 8, 2016. Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images