Tusk Blames Political Elites for Brexit

Brussels, 01 Syawal 1437/06 July 2016 (MINA) – The President of the European Council, Donald Tusk, called on EU member states Tuesday to stop blaming the EU institutions for the UK’s exit from the EU and said that political elites in EU countries also share the blame, KUNA reported.

“In the current situation, attacks on the EU institutions, including the Commission and the Parliament, can only deepen the confusion,” he told the European Parliament (EP) in Strasbourg during a debate on the UK referendum on EU membership.

“The national capitals must undertake an effort to stop accusing the EU and its institutions of weaknesses and failures. The referendum in the UK was lost, also because the political elites have for years been building a negative and often unfair vision of the EU,” he said.

He stressed that the EU is ready to proceed with “an amicable divorce with the UK even today,” adding that “before launching the divorce procedures, we will not undertake any negotiations on the future shape of relations between the EU and the UK.”

On his part, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker dismissed calls by some European politicians for him to step down over the Brexit debacle.

“I refuse to let the Commission be blamed for the outcome of the referendum,” he told the EP. (T/R07/R01)

Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)