By Martin Robinson, Chief Reporter For Mailonline
Published: 15:25 BST, 22 May 2019 | Updated: 15:39 BST, 22 May 2019
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Emmanuel Macron today insisted that Britain should leave the EU on October 31 with or without a deal to prevent them 'polluting' the bloc.
The French President, who had fought for the UK to leave the bloc no later than June, says Brussels must not extend Article 50 again even if MPs fail break the Brexit deadlock.
Mr Macron also gave his support to the EU's Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier to replace Jean-Claude Juncker as European Commission president, claiming his negotiations with Britain show he is up to the job.
He told Belgium’s Le Soir newspaper today: 'In the case of Brexit, you just have to know at some point whether it stops or not. If we have the logic of the weakness of saying that it scares us and that we are prepared not to respect the British vote, we betray both the British and the interest of the EU'.
The French leader said the Brexit delay to October 31 agreed by EU leaders in April must be the last.
He said that not allowing another Article 50 extension would 'prevent the next mandate being polluted by this subject we've been talking about for three years'.
Emmanuel Macron said that the British will 'pollute' the EU for years if it does not leave by October 31
Asked about Juncker's replacement he said: 'Undeniably, Michel Barnier is a man who has great qualities and he has demonstrated it again in the way of managing the negotiations
