Call for 'Exit from #Brexit' with a '#NewDealforBritain and the EU'

“With or without an agreement, both sides can only lose with  Brexit,” declared the former presidents of the Federation of German Industries (BDI) Hans-Olaf Henkel, Michael Rogowski and Heinrich Weiss at a press conference in Berlin. Together with Roland Berger, founder of the consulting firm of the same name, Klaus-Michael Kühne, principal shareholder of the international logistics company Kühne & Nagel, Manfred Schneider, former head of Bayer AG, and Economics Professor Hans-Werner Sinn, they called on the new federal government to urge the EU to offer a 'New Deal for Britain and the EU'. The goal must be to prevent Brexit.

Heinrich Weiss said: “Not only will German taxpayers bear the brunt of the missing net contribution of the British, we all will lose one of our most important allies in our fight for competitiveness, subsidiarity and self-responsibility for sovereign and bank debt.”

“The British are our third most important customer after the United States and France. Even if an agreement is reached and an extended transitional period is granted, Brexit is bound to become a Lose-Lose situation. Therefore, rather than focussing only on Brexit negotiations, we should make every effort to avert it,” explained Michael Rogowski.

Hans-Olaf Henkel pointed out that both Brussels and London made mistakes, resulting in “two high-speed trains approaching each on the same track”. Brussels had contributed to the outcome of the referendum with excessive centralization, bureaucracy and harmonization. In London, Brexit supporters have grossly downplayed the potentially severe consequences.

“The President of the European Council, Donald Tusk, has opened the option of a ‘no-Brexit’. We take this opportunity and urge him to prevent Brexit with a 'New Deal for Britain’,” the former presidents of the BDI declared in Berlin. Britain should be offered more autonomy especially on the issue of immigration. “Since the referendum, the mood on immigration has changed, not only in Germany but throughout Europe,” they said. In their view, Brussels should offer Britain more flexibility from which all of the EU would benefit.

The authors criticized Britain for having severely underestimated the political and economic consequences of Brexit. However, with a ‘New Deal for Britain’ London could credibly explain to British voters, “to have finally secured what they always wanted: more autonomy”. “This”, the authors of the resolution asserted, “would also be of great benefit to the other 27 member states.”

The authors call on all Europeans who believe that “only with Britain the EU will ever be a true European Union” to support the petition on the website.

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