Brexit Leaves European Leaders Reeling

European leaders have expressed dismay after Britain voted to leave the EU, triggering warnings of repercussions and fears of further calls for similar referendums.

EU chiefs told Britain Friday to start negotiations to quit the bloc “as soon as possible,” after outgoing Prime Minister David Cameron said he would leave the negotiations to his successor.

 “We now expect the United Kingdom government to give effect to this decision of the British people as soon as possible, however painful that process may be,” said a joint statement.

European Parliament President Martin Schulz said the EU assembly will hold an emergency session next week. France was also to hold an emergency cabinet meeting to discuss the impact of Britain’s exit.

Schulz said he would speak with German Chancellor Angela Merkel “on how we can avoid a chain reaction” of other EU states following the UK’s lead.

“The chain reaction that is being celebrated everywhere now by euro skeptics won’t happen,” Schulz said. “That’ll have consequences and I don’t believe other countries will be encouraged to follow that dangerous path.”

German Chancellor Angela Merkel expressed regret over Brexit, stressing that the development marks a critical moment for the European integration.

“We have to recognize the decision of the majority of the British people with deep regret today,” Merkel told reporters on Friday, adding, “There is no point beating about the bush: today is a watershed for Europe, it is a watershed for the European unification process.”

She also urged EU member states not make hasty conclusions about the UK’s EU exit in order to avoid further splitting in Europe

German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier voiced regret over the decision, calling it a “sad day for Europe.”

Former Finnish Prime Minister Alexander Stubb described the ‘Leave’ vote as a bad nightmare, saying the development could lead to crisis and chaos.

Turkey’s Deputy Prime Minister Nurettin Canikli, whose country has long been pushing for a membership in the EU, said Britain’s vote marks the beginning of the disintegration of the bloc.

The Brexit campaign and the rise of Europe’s populist right have further dented Turkish hopes of ever joining the EU. 

Russia, however, said it wanted the European Union to remain a major economic power.

“Moscow wants the EU to remain a major economic power which is prosperous, stable and predictable,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told a conference call with journalists.

Far-right parties celebrate

Europe’s far-right parties praised the vote as a victory for their own anti-EU stance and vowed to push for similar referendums in their own countries.

President of France’s Front National (FN) Marine Le Pen welcomed the vote, describing it as “a victory for freedom.”

“Like a lot of French people, I’m very happy that the British people held on and made the right choice. What we thought was impossible yesterday has now become possible,” she said.

Far-righ Dutch MP Geert Wilders also called for the Netherlands to hold a referendum on whether to leave in the EU.

“The Dutch people deserve a referendum as well. The Party for Freedom consequently demands a referendum on Nexit, a Dutch EU exit,” Wilders said in a statement.

Nigel Farage, leader of the UK’s Independence Party (UKIP), also hailed the Brexit win as the country’s “independence day.”

 “The dawn is breaking on an independent United Kingdom,” Farage said, adding, “Let June 23 go down in our history as our independence day!”

The top anti-EU campaigner also said the European Union is dying. He said Britain has left behind a failing political union.

Madrid urges ‘Spanish flag on Gibraltar’

Spain said Friday it was closer to bringing Gibraltar under its control after Britain voted to leave the European Union.

The two countries have been locked in a long-running dispute over Gibraltar. The UK has always insisted Gibraltar is rightfully British. The Spanish government maintains the territory is Spain’s.

In a referendum held yesterday, Britons chose to withdraw from the EU by a narrow margin, with a turnout of 72 percent.

Leave won the referendum with 51.9 percent (17,410,742 votes), while Remain finished on 48.1 percent (16,141,241 votes), according to British media.

The move sparked a decision by the David Cameron, the British Prime Minister, to steps down by October.

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H.M