Strasbourg, France: European Union leaders love-bombed Britain on Tuesday, holding the door open for it to change its mind about ending its four-decade membership of the bloc next year.
The comments by EU President Donald Tusk, European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker and others weighed into a debate in Britain about holding a second Brexit referendum.
Leading Brexit campaigner Nigel Farage surprisingly pushed the issue back onto the agenda last week when he said he was increasingly open to the idea of a new vote.
Tusk told the European Parliament that “if the UK government sticks to its decision to leave, Brexit will become a reality with all its negative consequences in March next year, unless there is a change of heart among our British friends.”
“We on the continent haven’t had a change of heart. Our hearts are still open to you,” the European Council chief said in a speech about last month’s EU summit.
The former Polish premier was indeed not alone on Tuesday, with Juncker calling on the British government to listen to Tusk about the possibility of reversing its decision.
“Tusk said our door still remains open and I hope that will be heard clearly in London,” Juncker told MEPs.
Juncker’s deputy Frans Timmermans gave similar encouragement, telling parliament: “If at some point the United Kingdom has second thoughts, or would take another decision, obviously the European Union would leave the door open.” — Reuters
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