Which way forward? Europe is divided on post-British vote on quitting union
From left to right: Conservative Party politician Boris Johnson, Gisela Stuart, Energy Minister Andrea Leadsom, presenter David Dimbleby, Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson, Mayor of London Sadiq Khan and TUC General Secretary Frances O'Grady get set for The Great Debate on the EU Referendum in at Wembley in London on June 21, 2016. Polls show a razor-tight race with less than 48 hours before the referendum. PHOTO | AFP
What you need to know:
France and Germany — both founding members of the bloc — will find themselves under pressure to defend what’s left of their vision for Europe.
Berlin and Paris are at odds over the way forward.
BERLIN, Tuesday
Europeans will have to struggle to drag the EU out of the doldrums after Britain’s vote Thursday, with a public hostile to further integration while Berlin and Paris are at odds over the way forward.
Whatever the results of the British referendum on whether or not to quit the EU, heavyweights France and Germany — both founding members of the bloc — will find themselves under pressure to defend what’s left of their vision for Europe.
They may be forced to only pursue issues such as security, as enthusiasm for the bloc has eroded due to a morose economic outlook and as populist rhetoric gains ground.
“Attempting to maintain the status quo and remaining immobile would amount to political suicide”, as the UK vote could push other countries to also seek their own referendum, warned the Institut Montaigne in France.
But what’s the next step?
French Economy Minister Emmanuel Macron has championed a common budget, parliament and a commissioner for the eurozone, as he told Le Monde that France would carry the initiative “to avoid contagion from Brexit” and to immediately launch “a positive project for Europe”. Berlin however sees it differently.
After the vote, “we can’t say, let’s go on as usual, or in a more intensive manner,” said German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble.
“Rather, we should say, first things first, let’s concentrate on the things that are urgent,” he said, adding that Europe must focus on “solving pressing problems through flexible pragmatic measures”.
Pursuing further integration can only happen “after we have regained confidence” from European citizens, he said at a forum in Berlin on Tuesday.
Eurogroup chief Jeroen Dijsselbloem also shied away from major action. “Let’s strengthen what we have. I don’t think we need big steps,” said Dijsselbloem.
