Versailles summit: 'Multi-speed Europe is key' to EU's future post-Brexit, say leaders

Spanish president Mariano Rajoy (PP) flew to France to meet with its president, François Hollande, plus German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Italian prime minister Paolo Gentolini.

Rajoy stressed he wanted Spain to get back to its one-time central role in the EU's functioning, since the general consensus is that the country has dropped into the background since its early days of fighting talk, ambitious and creative ideas and hands-on problem-solving during socialist president Felipe González's reign between 1982 and 1996.

“I believe now is the time for Europe to look long-term because, in the past, when it has done so, it has achieved some of the greatest milestones in its history,” Rajoy said.

Hollande was concerned about the remaining EU-27 forming a united front, especially in light of the UK's planned departure in early 2019, saying: “If divisions creep in, there's no capacity for influence. Unity does not mean uniformity – which is why I would advocate new forms of cooperation that differ between member States so that some countries can move forward more quickly than others.”

He and Frau Merkel agreed it was crucial for the so-called 'two-speed EU' to, in fact, become a 27-speed union with each country moving at its own pace and avoiding a one-size-fits-all approach.

Frau Merkel said all member States 'needed to be brave enough to accept' that 'some countries will evolve faster than others', but that it should not push those among the 27 which are 'more behind' out of the equation when it came to working closely together.

All four leaders, when it was their turn to speak, voiced their support for an 'ever-closer union', but not the feared 'super-State' the pro-Brexit camp had warned about – instead, varying levels of integration in key areas of policy and operations are what those present considered most important.

And Rajoy said Spain is 'prepared to go further still' in inter-State integration, binding itself closer to 'those who want to continue in that direction' – which excludes, of course, the outgoing United Kingdom.

This is the first time Rajoy has so clearly voiced his backing for a multi-speed EU, although his affirming that he 'likes the plan for better and greater integration' is nothing new – from the very day of the Brexit referendum results going live, all political parties in Spain have been fiercely in favour of the remaining member States sticking together as much as possible and ploughing all their energies into making the EU stronger.

As for the EU post-Brexit, the four leaders were unanimous in their view that once Britain had left the 'club', the panorama for the union would have to change.

“The status quo cannot continue and is not the solution,” argued Hollande.

Photograph (left to right): Italian prime minister Paolo Gentiloni; French president François Hollande; Spanish president Mariano Rajoy, and German Chancellor Angela Merkel