Europe leaders call on Theresa May to resolve Brexit issues

Theresa May is set to become prime minister this afternoon. Picture: Getty

European leaders have urged prime minister-in-waiting Theresa May to resolve the UK's post-Brexit relationship with the European Union as quickly as possible.

German chancellor Angela Merkel said Britain “will have to quickly clarify how it wants to shape its relationship to the European Union in the future”.

The Home Secretary has insisted Britain will make a success of Brexit and Mrs Merkel insisted the EU was “strong enough to absorb this break”.

Meanwhile, the eurozone’s top official, Eurogroup president Jeroen Dijsselbloem, told Mrs May to “find solutions for the Brexit which has been causing a lot of problems particularly for the UK, but also for Europe”. Ahead of a meeting of finance ministers in Brussels, he said the “sooner we can sort out this problematic situation, the better.”

The comments indicate that the EU is still willing to play hardball with Britain over the Brexit negotiations.

Meanwhile, newspapers across Europe drew comparisons between Mrs May and Margaret Thatcher.

France’s La Tribune called her “The Iron Lady of post-Brexit”, while Spanish newspaper El Mundo dubbed her “the new Iron Lady”.

Italy’s La Repubblica said: “Prime Minister May, 26 years after Thatcher, [says] ‘make Brexit a success’.”