Brexit leader Boris Johnson says there's no rush to leave the EU. The EU sharply disagrees.


Boris Johnson — a former mayor of London, possible next prime minister, and leader of the push for Britain to leave the European Union — said Friday morning that just because UK voters voted to exit the EU, "we are part of Europe, our children and our grandchildren will continue to have a wonderful future as Europeans." After praising Prime Minister David Cameron, whom he defeated in the referendum, as "one of the most extraordinary politicians of our age," Johnson said that "in voting to leave the EU, it is vital to stress there is no need for haste.... There is no need to invoke Article 50," the clause that begins the process of extricating a country from the EU.
The leaders of the EU — European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker, leader of the European Parliament President Martin Schulz, European Council President Donald Tusk, and the rotating head of the EU council, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte — disagreed, apparently eager to rip off the band-aid. "We now expect the United Kingdom government to give effect to this decision of the British people as soon as possible, however painful that process may be," they said in a joint statement. "We stand ready to launch negotiations swiftly with the United Kingdom regarding the terms and conditions of its withdrawal from the European Union." Until that time, Britain is a full member of the EU, but afterward, "the Union of 27 member states will continue."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
-
June 29 editorial cartoons
Cartoons Sunday's political cartoons include the AI genie, Iran saving face, and bad language bombs
-
A tall ship adventure in the Mediterranean
The Week Recommends Sailing aboard this schooner and exploring Portugal, Spain and Monaco is a 'magical' experience
-
How drone warfare works
The Explainer From Ukraine to Iran, it has become clear that unmanned aircraft are rapidly revolutionising modern warfare
-
Canadian man dies in ICE custody
Speed Read A Canadian citizen with permanent US residency died at a federal detention center in Miami
-
GOP races to revise megabill after Senate rulings
Speed Read A Senate parliamentarian ruled that several changes to Medicaid included in Trump's "One Big Beautiful Bill" were not permissible
-
Supreme Court lets states ax Planned Parenthood funds
Speed Read The court ruled that Planned Parenthood cannot sue South Carolina over the state's effort to deny it funding
-
Trump plans Iran talks, insists nuke threat gone
Speed Read 'The war is done' and 'we destroyed the nuclear,' said President Trump
-
Trump embraces NATO after budget vow, charm offensive
Speed Read The president reversed course on his longstanding skepticism of the trans-Atlantic military alliance
-
Trump judge pick told DOJ to defy courts, lawyer says
Speed Read Emil Bove, a top Justice Department official nominated by Trump for a lifetime seat, stands accused of encouraging government lawyers to mislead the courts and defy judicial orders
-
Mamdani upsets Cuomo in NYC mayoral primary
Speed Read Democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani beat out Andrew Cuomo in New York City's Democratic mayoral primary
-
Supreme Court clears third-country deportations
Speed Read The court allowed Trump to temporarily resume deporting migrants to countries they aren't from