The European Union does not recognise the outcome of the presidential election in Belarus, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Wednesday, adding that the controversial vote was "neither free nor fair". "For us.. there is no doubt that there were massive rule violations in the election," Merkel told reporters in Berlin after an emergency video summit with EU leaders. "The election was neither free nor fair. And that's why the result of the election cannot be recognised." She added: "We stand with the peaceful demonstrators." mfp/dlc/ach