EU unity on edge following the Brexit vote

Brexit

EU unity on edge following the Brexit vote

The success of the “leave” side in the U.K. vote has the EU worried that other countries may following suit. Populist parties across Europe are calling for their own referendum on union membership.

One of the chief campaigners for Britain’s departure was taking a victory lap of sorts at the EU parliament today.

CCTV’s Kate Parkinson reports on the contentious session.
Follow Kate Parkinson on Twitter @katecctvnews

UKIP leader and Brexiteer, Nigel Farage, enjoyed his moment in the spotlight of the EU’s meeting.

“Isn’t it funny. When I came here 17 years ago and I said that I wanted to lead a campaign to get Britain to leave the European Union, you all laughed at me,” Farage said. “I’ll make one prediction this morning, the United Kingdom will not be the last member state to leave the European Union.”

But there was at least one Brexit fan in the parliament.

“Dear colleagues, why are you getting so upset. Look how beautiful history is when liberty succeeds and the will of the people can move things forward,” Marine Le Pen, National Front Leader of French MEP said.

Britain’s vote to leave the European Union has fired up populist Eurosceptic parties across the continent. There have been fresh calls to leave the bloc, or its euro currency, in France, the Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden, and Italy.

But Austrian MEP Barbara Kappel, from the Europe of Nations and Freedom Group – headed by Le Pen – thinks the Union will not go through a mass exodus of its members.

“What we see now in the media coverage, what happened in the U.K. – with all those problems – maybe they might even fall apart – which nobody hopes of course – but there is a referendum in Scotland maybe planned, there is a potential referendum in North Ireland. We see so many problems that came out of the vote, that I think everybody now would say that internal reforms – common internal reforms – are much better than a referendum and to leave the EU,” Kappel said.

It’s too early to tell if Europe will see a Frexit in France, a Nexit in the Netherlands or an Oexit in Austria. But the British vote to leave the bloc is certainly putting Europe on edge.


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To take a deeper look at the reactions of EU members after the Brexit, CCTV America’s Michelle Makori spoke to John Allison, CEO of Unio Capital.