My rationale is Matteo Renzi, Francois Hollande, and Angela Merkel met on a volcanic island near Naples, specifically chosen as a symbolic mark of their joint resolve to stay the course with the EU after the UK voted to leave.

"The leaders of Germany, France and Italy declared they would not allow Britain's departure from the EU to propel the bloc into reverse as they discussed plans to deepen intelligence co-operation and bolster a pan-European investment plan.

At a summit on the Mediterranean island of Ventotene, they pledged to address some of the bloc's most urgent problems by reinforcing European defence, overcoming a refugee crisis and spurring economic growth.

"We think that Europe is not the problem. It's more the solution," said Italian premier Matteo Renzi at a press conference with German chancellor Angela Merkel and French president François Hollande on the flight deck of an Italian aircraft carrier.