No Brexit talks for 12 months: Top official

He said the talks will be tough, but hopefully of mutual benefit.

“Before the German elections and before there is a new German government no serious negotiations will take place”, said Van Rompuy, who was Belgium’s prime minister from 2008-09.

Mr van Rompuy added that while there was no desire to “punish” Britain for voting to leave, the United Kingdom had “not many friends” among the other member states and that the negotiations would be hard.

“Of course we want an agreement which represents some kind of mutual benefit”.

Van Rompuy, a former Belgian prime minister, said the European Union would seek a deal of mutual benefit but “red lines” would stand on key areas.

EU leaders are now gathering to meet in a summit in the Slovak capital, Bratislava, without the United Kingdom, to discuss the implication of the Brexit vote and the union’s future.

“Time pressure would have negative consequences for the quality of the negotiation result”, Hardt said, adding that many politicians shared his personal wish for Britain to indefinitely postpone triggering article 50.

Mr van Rompuy said the Brexit vote was seen in the European Union as a “political amputation of the first degree” and leaders would be keen to avoid further breakaways by member states.

“There is not a feeling that we have to punish, but on the other hand, most leaders don’t want to encourage other exits”.

“There are huge economic interests, but there are also red lines”.

But this meant it was also “not fully a member of the hardcore where decisions are taken”.

Britain is keen to hold more informal talks on Brexit and trade, according to reports, but Europe is putting up resistance.

This had been shown during the election of Jean-Claude Juncker as President of the European Commission in 2014, when Britain was “isolated” in its opposition to him, he added.

The Financial Times reports that Brussels is pushing back against attempts by British officials to sound out potential Brexit terms, while Politico reports that the United Kingdom plans to hold trade talks alongside official Brexit negotiations, rather than waiting until Britain has officially left. “That image of a strong Europe is tarnished a lot after Brexit”.

You can hear the interview with Mr Van Rompuy on the Today programme at 07:30 BST.