The will of the British people must now be put into effect as quickly as possible. Under Article 50 of the EU Treaty the UK must leave the European Union within two years at the latest.

Article 50 governs the exit from the European Union and here there can also be no renegotiation.

Here in Brussels, we did everything to accommodate David Cameron's concerns. My collaborators and I personally spent countless days and nights negotiating an agreement that was fair toward the United Kingdom and toward the other 27 Member States. I was then very surprised to see that this settlement played no role whatsoever in the campaign in the United Kingdom. At the same time it is hardly surprising.

It's important to recognize that we in Europe will either succeed together or fail together.

My friendship with Martin [Schulz], by contrast, is completely different in that it goes far beyond politics.

I am chilled by the realization of how similar circumstances in Europe in 2013 are to those of 100 years ago.

I prefer to concentrate on my task of leading Europe to the success that our citizens expect. We have to look forwards now because what is at stake is what makes Europe Europe.