European leaders have ridiculed Britain’s “own goal” on Twitter. Picture: AFP PHOTO / ATTILA KISBENEDEK

President of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe, GuyVerhofstadt, called the vote “another own goal” after the Brexit referendum in June 2016 that also led to a shock result for a Conservative leader.

MORE: How the UK vote went down

European Council President Donald Tusk said there is no deadline for when talks start, only when they end.

Manfred Weber, the head of the European Parliament’s largest group and a key ally of German Chancellor Angela Merkel, said May had caused “chaos”.

“EU is united, UK is deeply split. PM May wanted stability but brought chaos to her country instead,” tweeted Weber, who leads the centre-right European People’s Party.

“The clock is ticking for Brexit. Therefore the UK needs a government soon. The date for the beginning of negotiations is now unclear.”

Others in the UK also got in on the act, joking about the lack of leadership and putting a spin on “hung parliament.”

British Prime Minister Theresa May will form a coalition with the DUP after losing her parliamentary majority. Picture: AFP PHOTO / Geoff CADDICKSource:AFP

Britain's opposition Labour Party Leader Jeremy Corbyn scored the biggest gains since 1997. Picture: AFP PHOTO / Daniel LEAL-OLIVASSource:AFP

EU budget commissioner Guenther Oettinger said May was now likely to be a “weak” partner, when what the EU wants is a leader strong enough at home to reach a deal.

“The British need to negotiate their exit but with a weak negotiating partner, there is a danger that the talks are bad for both parties,” Oettinger told German radio.

EU Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier indicated the remaining 27 members were prepared to be flexible on when the process begins.

“Brexit negotiations should start when UK is ready; timetable and EU positions are clear. Let’s put our minds together on striking a deal,” the Frenchman said on Twitter.

Read how the vote went down here.