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Some EU leaders should step down after Brexit vote: Polish FM

PR dla Zagranicy
Alicja Baczyńska 27.06.2016 18:20
Some EU leaders should step down following Britain's decision to leave the bloc, Polish Foreign Minister Witold Waszczykowski said after meeting his counterparts and officials from nine member states in Warsaw on Monday.
Foreign Minister Witold Waszczykowski (Poland, 2L), Daniel Mitov (Bulgaria, 2R), Lazar Comanescu (Romania, 3R),Nikos Kotzias (Greece, R), Peter Szijjarto (Hungary, L), and British EU Minister David Lidington (4L), Slovakia's state secretary for EU affairs Lukas Parizek (3L), head of EU affairs in Austria's FM, Hubert Heiss (2R). Photo: PAP/Paweł SuForeign Minister Witold Waszczykowski (Poland, 2L), Daniel Mitov (Bulgaria, 2R), Lazar Comanescu (Romania, 3R),Nikos Kotzias (Greece, R), Peter Szijjarto (Hungary, L), and British EU Minister David Lidington (4L), Slovakia's state secretary for EU affairs Lukas Parizek (3L), head of EU affairs in Austria's FM, Hubert Heiss (2R). Photo: PAP/Paweł Su

Although he did not specify which officials should quit, Waszczykowski said that both British and European decisionmakers were responsible for the UK opting out of the bloc.

Centered on the future of Europe, Monday's meeting in Warsaw came in the wake of Britain’s vote to leave the EU in a referendum on Thursday.

“We place part of the blame on the leadership of the European bloc,” Waszczykowski told journalists, adding that “some of the top EU figures should suffer the consequences and hand over the helm (...) to new politicians and experts (…) who could draw up a fresh roadmap for Britain and Europe.”

Waszczykowski also called on Europe to draft new accords for member states. “If a divorce between the EU and Britain is inevitable it must be pursued under a treaty,” he said.

“On the other hand, proposals are surfacing to speed up European integration following a Brexit, which also requires a treaty. Therefore, we have no choice but to revise our treaties.”

He added: “We must convince EU countries, both in and outside the euro zone, that the only way to go is to maintain unity within the EU and not further divisions, or separate meetings under various formats,” he said.

The Warsaw gathering came after six founding member states of the EU met for talks in Berlin on Saturday, to the chagrin of Warsaw and other non-founding member states, who were left out of the debate focusing on the post-Brexit future of the bloc.

In the run-up to the UK referendum, Waszczykowski warned that if Britons decided to leave the EU, Poland could end up sidelined in a bloc dominated by euro zone countries. He added that a "two-speed Europe" could appear. (aba)

Source: TVN24

tags: brexit
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