Second phase of Brexit talks will be the ‘real test of unity’ says EU president

EU President Donald Tusk warned Thursday that the second phase of Brexit talks, on the bloc’s future relationship with Britain, will be the “real test of our unity.”

European Union leaders meeting for a two-day summit in Brussels are expected to endorse an interim deal on the terms of Britain’s divorce that May sealed with the EU last week after months of torturous negotiations.

“I have no doubt that the real test of our unity will be the second phase of the Brexit talks,” Tusk told reporters as he arrived for the summit.

The 27 nations staying in the EU have maintained a unified front throughout the six months of at times acrimonious talks with London so far.

However, Tusk warned that the next stage, covering a postBrexit transition phase and future relations between Britain and the EU, would be more difficult.

Tusk said the “lack of unity is very visible” on two key subjects: plans for a way forward on the migration crisis, and proposals for reforms of the eurozone.

Tensions flared when Tusk wrote in his pre-summit letter that quotas for sharing out refugees around the bloc to ease the burden on frontline states were “ineffective” and “highly divisive.”

“These divisions are accompanied by emotions which make it hard to find even a common language and rational argument for this debate, and this is why we should work on our unity even more intensively and more effectively than before,” Tusk said on Thursday.

“The government will not implement any parts of the Withdrawal Agreement – for example by using Clause 9 of the EU (Withdrawal) bill – until after this vote has taken place,” he promised.