German FM says ‘won’t let anyone take Europe from us’
Frank-Walter Steinmeier, meeting with counterparts from EU founding countries, says there is 'strong desire' to strengthen bloc
BERLIN, Germany — Europe angrily demanded a quick divorce as sparks flew Saturday over Britain’s seismic vote to abandon the EU, toppling Prime Minister David Cameron, pounding world markets and fracturing the island nation.
European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker called for rushing Britain out of the door as the bloc grappled with the impending loss of one of the world’s top economies, the first defection in its 60-year history.
German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said that the EU would weather the shock of the British vote to leave the union as he convened crisis talks.
“I am confident that these countries can also send a message that we won’t let anyone take Europe from us,” he said heading into a meeting in Berlin of his counterparts from the EU’s six founding members.
His French counterpart Jean-Marc Ayrault urged quick negotiations on Britain’s exit from the union, saying that the pressure would be “very strong” on British Prime Minister David Cameron at an EU summit on Tuesday to speed up the process.
Cameron, who on Friday announced his resignation by October in the wake of the referendum, said it should be his successor who leads the complex negotiations under Article 50 of the EU’s Lisbon Treaty which sets out a two-year timeframe to leave.
Steinmeier called the European Union “a successful project of peace and stability” and said that there was a “strong desire” within the bloc to defend and strengthen it.
“I think it is absolutely clear that we are in a situation in which neither hysteria nor paralysis are permissible,” he said.
“We must not rush headlong into hectic action, pretending we had all the answers. But we must also not fall into depression or inaction after the British decision.”
Steinmeier hosted Ayrault, the Netherlands’ Bert Koenders, Italy’s Paolo Gentiloni, Belgium’s Didier Reynders and Luxemburg’s Jean Asselborn in a lakeside villa north of the city centre.
Ayrault said he and Steinmeier, whose countries long represented the twin-engine of European integration, were working on joint proposals that could deepen cooperation among EU members that use the euro currency, or bolster security and defence coordination.
Steinmeier said the ministers would discuss joint action on the refugee influx, the unemployment crisis and security during their meeting scheduled to wrap up around 1000 GMT with a news conference.
French President Francois Hollande said Saturdays the British vote to leave the European Union poses questions “for the whole planet.”
Hollande vowed to maintain relations with Britain, notably concerning migrants crossing between the two countries and military and economic cooperation.
Speaking after a meeting in Paris with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, Hollande said: “For the entire planet there is a question, what will happen?”