Patricia De Melo Moreira—AFP
Donald Tusk says a united Europe can cope with future challenges.
European Union President Donald Tusk Monday said Britain’s closely watched referendum on E.U. membership should be seen as a “warning signal” for the rest of the bloc, as he again urged Britons to stay in the European family.
“Whatever the U.K. vote is, we must take [a] long hard look on the future of the Union. Would be foolish to ignore such a warning signal,” Tusk wrote on Twitter, three days before Britons go to the polls in a vote that has polarized the nation and triggered heated debate across the E.U. “I appeal to the British citizens: Stay with us. We need you. Together we will cope with future challenges. Apart it will be more difficult,” he added.
Speaking in Lisbon after a meeting with Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa, Tusk also warned of the “unpredictable” political and geopolitical consequences of a possible Brexit. “I have no doubt that our enemies, internal and external enemies, will open a bottle of champagne if the result of referendum is negative for us,” he said at a press conference.