UK to exit EU would be “unimaginable”

Joaquin Almunia said that UK was an important member of the EU while Germany’s finance minister said that British exit from EU was “unimaginable.

11:59 30 June 2014

Following his failure to block the appointment of Jean-Claude Juncker as incoming European Commission president,  Prime Minister David Cameron said that he is determined to renegotiate the UK-EU relationship and then put the changes to a referendum on whether the UK should say in or leave the EU. 

 

The announcement came after he forced a vote of EU states on Friday on the selection of MrJuncker – but lost it 26-2. Mr Cameron said: "Sometimes it is possible to be isolated and to be right.” Hungary joined Britain after it also voted to block the appointment of Mr Juncker, who is seen as a backer of closer political union in the EU. 

 

Although Germany supported Mr Juncker’s appointment, its finance minister said that a British exit from the EU was “unimaginable” and “absolutely unacceptable.” 

 

Wolfgang Schauble said: "Clearly, we have in many economic questions and regulatory questions a broad consensus. "Historically, politically, democratically, culturally, Great Britain is entirely indispensable for Europe.

 

Meanwhile, Labour ex-European Commissioner Lord Mandelson said that MrJuncker should be given the benefit of the doubt. He told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: "We should give him the benefit of the doubt.

 

"He explicitly said he does not advocate a united states of Europe - he's not a green-eyed federalist minister as some in Britain have portrayed him.

 

"MrJuncker has the experience and the knowledge to be an effective president of the European Commission."