Can closing a cookie pop-up be considered consent?

ANSWER

No. The user must provide explicit consent.

Closing a pop-up window and remaining on the website cannot be considered consent.

Similarly, if a user browses a website without interacting with the cookie pop-up, cookies may not be stored in the user's browser (except for strictly necessary technical cookies).

Consent must always be obtained first, and only then may cookies that require consent be stored on the user's device.