German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier warned on Monday that in the event the UK chose to leave the EU, other member states would have to do everything to prevent the reversal of integration.
“Should the British opt for a withdrawal from the EU, then we cannot continue just doing business as usual with 28 minus one the next day,” Steinmeier said in an interview published in local papers, Deutsche Welle reported.
“We in Europe bear a joint responsibility for ensuring that we do not fall back into a nationalism of single states,” he warned.
Campaigning for Britain’s referendum on EU membership has resumed after a three-day pause following the murder of pro-EU lawmaker Jo Cox. British Prime Minister David Cameron struck a familiar note on Sunday, warning voters that the UK economy would suffer if the country became the first member state to leave the European Union.
“I am absolutely convinced that our economy will suffer if we leave,” Cameron said during a question and answer session live on BBC television, cautioning that there would be no going back in the event of a Brexit. Britain would lose free trade access to the 28-member bloc, face higher taxes and budget cuts, the prime minister warned. He said the UK would be a “quitter” if it opted to leave the EU.
Both the “remain” and “leave” camps have stuck to familiar themes trying to convince undecided voters just four days ahead of the critical referendum. For the “remain” camp, the campaign has focused on the economic blowback of leaving the EU.
