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French President Emmanuel Macron insisted on Wednesday that nothing was decided to grant the UK an extension of Brexit. The European Council is meeting to consider a request by British Prime Minister Theresa May to postpone Brexit until 30 June.
"We have negotiated a Brexit deal for two years, we now have to make decisions," Macron said in a series of tweets shortly after the start of the extraordinary meeting of the European Council.
"The British people have decided to leave the European Union. I regret that choice, it's not something that I support, "said Macron. "But it's not up to us to challenge it, come back to it, or do anything to make sure it does not happen."
May hopes that European leaders will give her more time to push through her controversial withdrawal plan by the British Parliament. While the President of the European Council, Donald Tusk, has presented a so-called "flextension" that could delay Brexit from nine months to a year.
"What is essential is that nothing compromises the European project," said Macron. "We have a European renaissance to lead, I deeply believe in it and I do not want the subject of Brexit to block us."
Macron was keen to take a stronger stance towards the UK and insisted that May should provide further guarantees that any delay in Brexit would serve a real purpose.
"Any extension must be useful and serve a purpose, and our common goal is to obtain ratification of the withdrawal agreement," said Michel Barnier, the EU's chief negotiator for Brexit. "This withdrawal agreement is the only way to ensure an orderly withdrawal from the United Kingdom, which is our common interest," he told reporters when he arrived at the Brussels meeting.
The meeting began with European leaders taking part in a question and answer session with May. Discussions between the 27 leaders of the bloc could continue late Wednesday night.
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