“The British have now decided to go. We will not hold talks about what the EU can still offer the Britons to keep them in” Gabriel said in excerpts from an interview released on Sunday, explaining the European Union will not make Britain any fresh offers.
In contrast to conservative Chancellor Angela Merkel, who on Saturday struck a conciliatory tone towards Britain by calling for clear-headed negotiations with the “close partner”, Gabriel took a tough stance on the EU's future ties with London.
However, even Angela Merkel readjusted her tone on Monday during her party’s board, according to two participants who spoke to Reuters. She said action is needed to prevent other EU members from exiting. She also added there is concern in the international financial markets that Brexit is a sign of the European Union no longer being governable.
Under these circumstances, the Chancellor reportedly said this is not the time for expanding cooperation between member states, but instead it is needed to focus on ever-present issues facing the union, chief among them being border security, international security and the creation of jobs at home.
Mr. Gabriel used a much stricter tone to address the choices of both Prime Minister David Cameron, and Leave top campaigner Boris Johnson. “It is clear: You can't be a bit pregnant. Nor have half a partnership” Mr. Gabriel said, criticizing David Cameron for “his grand and historic blunder” in calling the referendum. ”Britons will one day curse” Boris Johnson, he added.
Earlier, Merkel's chief of staff said Britain's politicians should take time to review the consequences of leaving the EU, but he stressed he did not mean they should rethink the Brexit decision itself.
“Politicians in London should take the time to reconsider the consequences of the Brexit decision — but by that I emphatically do not mean Brexit itself” Peter Altmaier told Reuters.
Another Merkel spokesperson said Britain hasn’t really left until it invokes Article 50 of the EU treaty but with no informal talks in the midtime. “If the [UK] government needs a reasonable amount of time to do that, we respect that.”
“One thing is clear: before Britain has sent this request there will be no informal preliminary talks about the modalities of leaving” spokesman Steffen Seibert told a news conference.