Germany: Britain must pay for Brexit if Europe is to survive

Sigmar Gabriel giving finger to neo-Nazis.

AN OMINOUS message has come from a senior German politician signalling that, unless Britain is made to suffer for voting Brexit, Europe itself would “go down the drain”. 

The comments from economy minister Sigmar Gabriel come as EU representatives and a British negotiating team prepare themselves for months, if not years, of protracted wrangling over the eventual terms of the Brexit divorce. 

Gabriel, who made headlines this week giving neo-Nazi protestors the middle finger,  said that Europe was now an unstable continent in the eyes of the world and that Britain must pay a steep price to deter other EU countries from following suit. 

“Brexit is bad but it won’t hurt us as much economically as some fear – it’s more of a psychological problem and it’s a huge problem politically,” he said. 

“If we organise Brexit in the wrong way, then we’ll be in deep trouble, so now we need to make sure that we don’t allow Britain to keep the nice things, so to speak, related to Europe while taking no responsibility,”

On Wednesday Theresa May will hold a meeting of top cabinet ministers at her countryside retreat to attempt to iron out a unified strategy ahead of the negotiations, expected to begin in spring 2017. 

The talks come amid suggestions that the cabinet is deeply divided over what kind of Brexit would be in the country’s best interests. 

Some, including chancellor Philip Hammond, prefer a Brexit-lite option that would sacrifice some control over immigration from EU countries in exchange for free market access. 

Others such as the Atlanticist Liam Fox and his housemate David Davis favour a firm split with Britain seeking economic shelter alongside Anglophile and commonwealth states.

Author badge placeholder
Written by

Euro Weekly News Media

Share your story with us by emailing newsdesk@euroweeklynews.com, by calling +34 951 38 61 61 or by messaging our Facebook page www.facebook.com/EuroWeeklyNews

Comments


    • Brian Deller

      29 August 2016 • 17:39

      A typical response from an overbearing politician. First the EU does not deliver what is “on the label” with 17 years of unaudited accounts so no credible facts on wher the billions have been spent, so a member who knows that he (Britain) can make it alone without all the making of bad investments demanded by Brussels, so now the spite is promised. I)f other members decide to leave, look to the Brussels management to eefect a cure in Brussels so even Britain could be enticed back. Briotain has made it on its own before and can easily do it again, but we do not need millions of Third World immigrants whose opènly vowed intention is to turn Britain/Europe into a caliphate. Who needs the civil wars that would be the results

    • Mike in ESP

      29 August 2016 • 21:09

      But all these problems this “Gabriel” talks about are because they didn’t listen, they don’t listen and they never will listen, they are the problem! They couldn’t run a race to beat their way out of a paper bag never mind try and run the EU other than into the ground… what is it with these people! This idiot says “Britain must pay”, whats wrong with them paying and understanding what they are trying to do isn’t working, they are on full steam ahead to self destruct and they say “Britain must pay”, what a bunch of idiots they all are! Watching them at work and running the EU is like watching a slow motion movie but the problem is it’s not a movie, it is real life and we along with each EU countries politians all let them get away with it lol

    • Harry Southgate

      30 August 2016 • 16:11

      … a begrudging admission of failure … the overloaded gravy train’s gone tits up .. let them pay for their own stupidity ..

    Comments are closed.