French President Emmanuel Macron today pleaded with Britain not to be an 'unfair competitor' against the EU after Brexit.

He said: 'My hope is that the United Kingdom remains an ally, a friend and an extremely close partner. The condition is to define the rules of a fair relationship.

'We do not want Britain to be an unfair competitor.'

French President Emmanuel Macron today pleaded with Britain not to be an 'unfair competitor' against the EU after Brexit

It comes as Russian President Vladimir Putin also voiced concerns over Brexit and called for a 'constructive dialogue' with Boris Johnson

Macron made the comments amid fears London will seek to lower taxes and regulations after Brexit.

It comes as Russian President Vladimir Putin also voiced concerns over Brexit and called for a 'constructive dialogue' with Boris Johnson.

While congratulating the Prime Minister on his election victory he said: 'I am sure that the development of constructive dialogue and cooperation in various spheres would be fully in the interests of our countries' peoples and the entire European continent.'

Other EU leaders reluctantly welcomed Prime Minister Boris Johnson's election triumph this morning as a chance to put three years of Brexit frustration behind them.

Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis said Brexit would be 'bad news for Europe' after German conservative lawmaker Norbert Roettgen admitted that it 'has become inevitable'.

Leaders said they now wanted a quick divorce and to move on to talks on a free-trade accord with the EU, even if they are likely to be difficult.

While congratulating the Prime Minister on his election victory, Putin said: 'I am sure that the development of constructive dialogue and cooperation in various spheres would be fully in the interests of our countries

Prime Minister Boris Johnson is greeted by staff as he arrives back at Downing Street after meeting Queen Elizabeth and accepting her invitation to form a new government today

'I'm relieved for my country,' Ireland's Prime Minister Leo Varadkar said at an EU summit.

A so-called orderly Brexit with a transition period is crucial for investors and businesses who fear a 'no-deal' departure would disrupt trade and financial markets.

'We expect a vote on the withdrawal agreement as soon as possible,' European Council President Charles Michel told reporters, referring to the deal that Johnson and the EU struck setting the terms of Britain's exit on January 31, 2020.

'It's important to have clarity as soon as possible,' Michel, who coordinates EU summits for the bloc's 28 member states, said.

The former Belgian prime minister hoped for 'an early ratification by the British parliament' of the exit agreement negotiated between London and the European Union, 'so that we can start the negotiations on the next phase calmly, quietly but with great determination'.

The Czech Republic's Prime Minister Andrej Babis said Brexit would be 'bad news for Europe'

German conservative lawmaker Norbert Roettgen admitted that Brexit 'has become inevitable'

Leaders from Italy to the Netherlands echoed that sentiment, with Luxembourg's Prime Minister Xavier Bettel saying: 'A lot of remainers voted for Johnson because they were fed up. They wanted clarifications

'Boris won the election by telling everyone he wants to deliver, so now it's time to deliver.'

Senior German conservative lawmaker Norbert Roettgen, an ally of Chancellor Angela Merkel, said on Twitter that now the size of Johnson's victory was clear 'Brexit has become inevitable'.

One of the first to congratulate Boris Johnson was Matteo Salvini, leader of Italy's the League party - the country's right-wing opposition.

Summit: EU leaders followed the results on Twitter as they held a working dinner at a summit in Brussels (the heads of government are pictured posing for a photo yesterday)

One of the first to congratulate Boris Johnson was Matteo Salvini, leader of Italy's the League party - the country's right-wing opposition

'Go Boris go! Left defeated in Great Britain too,' he tweeted with a smiley emoji late on Thursday.

Israel hails Jeremy Corbyn's crushing defeat as 'a milestone in the fight against hatred... and the spectre of anti-Semitism' Israel today hailed Jeremy Corbyn's crushing defeat as a 'milestone in the fight against hatred ... and the spectre of anti-Semitism.' Boris Johnson's Conservative party wiped Labour off the map on Thursday night after a campaign dominated by accusations of anti-Semitism within Corbyn's party. 'I congratulate British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and the UK Conservative Party on a decisive victory,' Foreign Minister Israel Katz said. 'This is not just a political victory, it is first and foremost a victory of values. 'The spectre of anti-Semitism loomed large over this campaign, and the British public overwhelmingly voted against it, in what is, in our opinion, a testament to British history and values. 'It serves as an important milestone in the fight against hatred.' A veteran left-winger, first elected to parliament in 1983, Corbyn has been plagued by allegations of anti-Semitism and they featured prominently in the campaign. In one damning interview with the BBC, the Labour leader had refused to apologise and instead talked in generalities about disavowing all forms of racism. Last month the Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis had warned that a Corbyn victory threatened 'the very soul of our nation.' The party was riven by the issue and high profile Jewish members quit over its failure to root out the problem. Corbyn supporters countered that the 70-year-old is a lifelong opponent of racism in all its forms and was targeted because of his longstanding support for the Palestinian cause. With almost all results declared from Thursday's election, Johnson's Conservative party had secured 362 of the 650 seats in parliament - its biggest majority since the heyday of Margaret Thatcher in the 1980s. Labour lost 59 seats to leave it with 203, prompting Corbyn to announce plans for his departure. Advertisement

EU leaders, like many British voters, have tired of stop-start Brexit negotiations and the three extensions to Britain's departure date they have granted, although all deeply lamented the British decision to leave.

'It is obviously a giant success for Boris Johnson. He is a charismatic leader,' Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis said.

'He won and now they will leave, unfortunately. That is bad news for Europe,' he said.

EU leaders in Brussels were to endorse a Brexit text at the end of their two-day summit, which was dominated on Thursday by climate talks.

According to the latest draft, seen by AFP, the 27 other EU leaders will call for 'as close as possible a future relationship with the UK' while warning that it 'will have to be based on a balance of rights and obligations and ensure a level playing field'.

For many in Europe, Britain was seen as a pragmatic, free-trading nation whose position as one of the EU's two military powers along with France gave the EU a bigger voice in the world.

But now the world's biggest trading bloc is resigned to London leaving and wants to get on with unravelling more than 40 years of British membership, even if that is likely to take more than the 12 months that some in London are hoping for.

Leaders said the EU was ready to negotiate a free-trade agreement but called on London to work in good faith, underlining EU fears that Britain might try to reinvent itself as a low-regulation rival.

'EU is ready for the next phase. We will negotiate a future trade deal which ensures a true level playing field,' Michel tweeted.

Varadkar cautioned there would be 'no undercuts on labour rights' and clinching a trade deal by the end of 2020 was 'enormously ambitious.'

EU trade pacts with countries such as South Korea, Japan and Canada have taken between five and nine years to complete, while EU officials warn that Johnson's plan to diverge from the EU, rather than mirror EU rules, could make negotiations even more complicated.

EU leaders followed the election results on Twitter last night as they held a working dinner at a summit in Brussels.

Sources said there was no live TV stream in the room and that they resorted to using social media on their phones.

One senior source said: 'Boris has never had so many supporters in Brussels. There was sadness but also relief. The uncertainty had to end.'

An EU diplomat added following the exit poll: 'The British voters have decided. We will have to say good-bye to our British friends quite soon which people are sad about, and will meet again at the negotiating table discussing our future relationship.'

European Council president Charles Michel said after the exit poll: 'We are ready for the next steps, we will see if it's possible for the British parliament to accept the withdrawal agreement, to take a decision, and if it is the case we are ready for the next steps.'

EU Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen said: 'Of course we have to wait for the final result, but when we do we will congratulate the winner and I think we will immediately listen to the new prime minister just to be reassured and have reaffirmed what the pathway is.

'We are all set for whatever the case is. We have the structures internally and are ready to negotiate whatever is necessary. It will be important tomorrow to get the mandate for the steps from the EU Council so this will be our focus tomorrow.'

Mark Rutte, the Dutch prime minister, said that all the EU leaders saw the results come in on their mobile telephones but did not discuss it at length.

He said: 'If this is the result, then on the British side they could speed up the process. That means on our side we need to agree the next steps including on a negotiating position with a view to a new arrangement.'

Arriving at the summit leaders said they were hoping for a large Tory majority as it would also make getting a post-Brexit trade deal through the Commons much easier.

Irish PM Leo Varadkar said leaders wanted to see a 'decisive' victory.

Winner: Boris Johnson won a sweeping majority in the UK general election

He said: 'I just hope that the result is decisive so we know where we're going over the next few months...I think the best thing for Ireland, the UK and Europe would be for an end to the uncertainty.

'What's been very difficult to work with is a hung parliament that wasn't able to come to a majority decision on anything and I just hope we're not in that position again tomorrow.' Luxembourg's prime minister Xavier Bettel said it would allow both sides to 'fulfil the agreement that we had decided on both sides'.

He said the large majority was also important for getting the future trade deal through the Commons.

He said: 'We will need to have a parliament in London that agrees to that [the withdrawal agreement] and all the future relations very quickly.'

It paves the way for EU leaders to use the second day of the summit today to agree on draft legal text which, seen by the Mail, which states that negotiations on the future trade deal should begin 'immediately' after Britain leaves on January 31. This is so the bloc 'swiftly' sets its negotiating mandate for the talks.

However, they also add: 'The future relationship will have to be based on a balance of rights and obligations and ensure a level playing field.' This could prove problematic for Mr Johnson as hardline Brexiteer MPs who blocked the first withdrawal agreement brokered by Theresa May could also try to block any future trade deal with such stringent 'level playing field' conditions.

These would keep the UK tied to Brussels rules for workers' rights, state aid and environmental and consumer protection.

However, with such a large projected majority Mr Johnson would still likely get a deal through even if he compromised on standards.

One senior Brussels official told the Mail: 'Level playing field is an absolute red line. There can't be a deal without it.' Mr Johnson has pledged to deliver a trade deal by the end of next year and avoid extending the so-called transition period, which keeps Britain in the EU customs union and single market.

But if new trading terms are not in place by the end of December 2020, Britain risks crashing out on No Deal terms.

Meeting: Finnish prime minister Sanna Marin, German chancellor Angela Merkel and Danish leader Mette Frederiksen

Michel Barnier, the EU's chief negotiator, has privately and publicly expressed concern that Mr Johnson's 11-month window for reaching a comprehensive deal is not enough time.

He told MEPs this week: 'Eleven months is very unrealistic for such wide-ranging negotiations. We will have to try to do everything possible, particularly to avoid a cliff-edge [at the end of 2020].' Brussels sources say it will only be possible to agree a 'basic, bare bones' trade deal by the end of 2020 and expect Mr Johnson to consider extending the transition period to reach a more comprehensive agreement.

Last night they said such a large majority may give Mr Johnson more room for manoeuvre in convincing MPs to extend the transition period.

This would also allow for talks to take place simultaneously for other areas of the future relationship, such as defence cooperation, fishing and security.

The withdrawal agreement includes the option to extend the transition for up to another two years.

The senior official added: 'You could get a partial or basic deal done [by December 2020] but it would be hugely damaging to the British economy, because you'd be leaving on a partial No Deal.

'We have heard Mr Johnson say things before that he hasn't followed through on, so I think we will wait and see.'

A senior diplomat from one member state said: 'Trade would have to be prioritised in the 11-month window so that a basic agreement on trade is feasible by end of 2020, but to have a complex agreement after that it will take a bit more time.'

Mr Johnson is not attending the two-day summit due to the general election and handed his vote to new EU Council chief Charles Michel.