Britain’s EU partners are bracing themselves for two years of tough negotiations with the UK after outgoing Prime Minister David Cameron confounded opinion polls by winning an overall majority in the 7 May general election.
The Conservative leader’s unexpected success has given him a strong mandate to renegotiate the country’s EU membership terms and put the result to a nationwide in-out referendum before the end of 2017.
Commenting on the future negotiations, European Commission spokesman Margaritis Schinas said President Jean-Claude…