Led by European Council president Donald Tusk, EU officials sensed an opportunity in the chaotic aftermath of Theresa May's humiliating Commons defeat, to suggest reversing the results of the 2016 Brexit referendum.

"If a deal is impossible, and no one wants no deal, then who will finally have the courage to say what the only positive solution is?" Tusk winked and nudged on his Twitter, to exclamations of "Remain!" from his audience.

If a deal is impossible, and no one wants no deal, then who will finally have the courage to say what the only positive solution is? — Donald Tusk (@eucopresident) January 15, 2019

The former Swedish foreign minister and current co-chair of the European Council on Foreign Relations, Carl Bildt, even has a date for a potential second referendum lined up, though after May's deal was rejected by a historic margin, it is not clear what question could be asked.

If no one really wants a no deal Brexit, then Brexit simply has to be delayed. Pressure for a new referendum will in all probability increase. And that takes time. But then EU should give the time. — Carl Bildt (@carlbildt) January 15, 2019

The problem with a Brexit delay is the May elections to the European Parliament. But perhaps a referendum in the UK and the EP election can be combined in some constructive way. — Carl Bildt (@carlbildt) January 15, 2019

One of the most vocal advocates of ever-closer European integration, Europarliament Brexit coordinator Guy Verhofstadt, proposed a "new deeper comprehensive" relationship with the UK. He spoke to reporters outside a meeting in Strasbourg with Michel Barnier, the chief EU Brexit negotiator.

Barnier himself was less keen to dance on the embers of an agreement he himself helped create, telling the media that Brussels was still "determined to reach a deal," though he did notably retweet Tusk's message above.

EU commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker, who will step down from arguably the most senior European post later this year, merely chose to ramp up the pressure on May's embattled government.

I take note with regret of the outcome of the vote in the @HouseofCommons this evening. I urge the #UK to clarify its intentions as soon as possible. Time is almost up #Brexithttps://t.co/SMmps5kexn — Jean-Claude Juncker (@JunckerEU) January 15, 2019

Meanwhile, if the UK prime minister thinks that her failure to squeeze past a Brexit deal that included an EU-sanctioned and controlled backstop and a £39 billion "divorce settlement" would engender more concessions from Brussels, she is likely to be disappointed.

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