It was an emotional moment for
me last week when I attended
my last European council together
with my friend Donald.
We are today debating the 147th
European council of my political career
– 147th or 148th, I don't know exactly
and it is today, the 105th time
that I speak to you in this gallery,
the beating heart of European democracy.
In many of these 105 debates,
I had to discuss the UK's departure
from the European Union with you.
In truth, it has pained me to spend
so much of this mandate dealing with Brexit,
when I thought of nothing less
than how this union could do better
for its citizens; a waste of time
and a waste of energy.
I will always regret the United Kingdom's
decision to leave the union
but at least we can look ourselves
in the eye and say that we have done
all in our power to make sure that
this departure is orderly.
We need now to watch events in
Westminster very closely,
but it's not possible, not imaginable,
that this parliament would ratify the agreement
before Westminster will have ratified.
It will be first London, then Brussels
and Strasbourg.
[applause]
