#Brexit: Verhofstadt – ‘Without change, we are sleepwalking towards a disaster, towards 27 referenda that will end the EU’

During today’s (5 July) debate with Council President Donald Tusk, ALDE leader Guy Verhofstadt has made a strong plea to government leaders to stop burying their heads in the sand and reform the European Union.  

Verhofstadt: “The Brexit vote is a political earthquake. The reaction of the European Council, which merely focuses on better implementation, is shocking. When will EU Governments recognize that you cannot defend this Europe anymore? Europe needs to reform and a new project should be presented to the people.

“European citizens are not against Europe, they are against this Europe. A Europe that has become an expert in making legislation on the exact measures and colours of a pack of cigarettes, on the amount of water toilets flush or on the level of subsidies football club may receive from their local government.

“People want a Europe capable of handling the big crises we are facing today. What they want is a European Border and Coast Guard and a European asylum and migration policy to tackle the migration crisis; a European Intelligence Capacity to fight terrorism, a European government to secure the euro and a European Army to protect our borders.

“Today, we are sleepwalking towards a disaster, towards another 27 referenda ending the European Union.

“So, let’s not be naive. A loose confederation of nation states based on the unanimity rule will never be able to deliver decisive results. A reform of the Union is needed and we need it now.

“The Union must change, or it will die.”

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