EU meet divides the leaders into two opinions on post-Brexit UK

Brussels, February 24: The meeting of European Union has made the leaders divide into two opinions that to pay more to fill the huge hole that Britain's departure will leave in their budget.

But there was no consensus on whether countries would each pay more into the joint budget to cover a post-Brexit shortfall of up to €15 billion a year.

"Many are ready to contribute more to the post-2020 budget," Tusk told, adding that "we need to address the revenue gap caused by Brexit". The European leaders were far more united on another post-Brexit issue: opposing changes to the way the bloc's top officials are chosen.

They rejected plans to let the European Parliament dictate the choice of a new European Commission chief when Juncker steps down in 2019.

 

"There was agreement that the European Council cannot guarantee in advance that it will propose one of the lead candidates of the European Parliament," Tusk said.

British Prime Minister Theresa May is excluded from the meeting in Brussels, the latest in a series of special EU summits aimed at charting a roadmap following Britain's shock 2016 vote to quit the bloc.

Tusk on Friday said plans agreed by May's government for future relations with the EU at a marathon meeting this week appeared to be "pure illusion."