Hollande: Britain's Access to the European Common Market is Coming to an End

The Prime Minister of Britain has met with the leaders of the European Union for the first time since the people of that country voted to leave the EU; the President of France has stated that the British must understand that without freedom of movement, access to the common market will also end. According to Reuters, quotes from European officials and diplomats indicate that the meeting between the British Prime Minister and European leaders took place in a calm atmosphere, although criticisms of David Cameron have also been raised. David Cameron, the British Prime Minister, has stated that his country's exit from the Union does not mean turning away from Europe. He says that the people who voted for exit were aware of the economic benefits of remaining, but there were widespread concerns regarding freedom of movement (the movement of people, capital, and services) and the issue of independence has intensified these concerns; 'We need to think about this. Europe needs to think about this.' On the other hand, François Hollande, the President of France, has stated that access to the European common market depends on the acceptance of the 'four freedoms': the freedom of movement of goods, the freedom of capital transfer, the freedom of movement of workers, and services. According to Hollande, 'If they do not want freedom of movement, they cannot access the common market either.' The President of France has added that the city of London can no longer act as a center for 'settling accounts' for the Euro. This means that London can no longer engage in depositing and trading related securities or settling their contracts. Martin Schulz, the President of the European Parliament, also addressed Mr. Cameron on July 8, stating, 'Months of waiting (for exit from the Union), as you said, Prime Minister Cameron! And hostage-taking of the future of a continent, just for party interests, is completely unacceptable.' Mr. Schulz says this leads to 'instability' and 'lack of certainty.' The British Prime Minister has stated that he has not faced much pressure from European leaders for an immediate exit from the Union. Angela Merkel, the Chancellor of Germany, previously stated that it is understandable that Britain needs time to analyze and understand the situation, but as long as the exit request is not officially sent to the Union, there will be no negotiations with London. The European Parliament has passed a non-binding resolution calling for the acceleration of the voluntary exit process of Britain. EU countries say the new conditions of this Union, following the British people's vote to leave, require quick decision-making, and the longer Britain's exit takes, the more decisions will be delayed. The British Prime Minister has emphasized that the exit process will not take place as long as he is in the position of head of government. The Conservative Party, of which Cameron is a member, has stated that the successor to the Prime Minister will not be determined before September 9 (more than two months from now).