DAVID CAMERON’S SETTING off on a 48-hour tour of European capitals this morning - to push for reforms he says are necessary before Britain holds its in-out EU referendum.
French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius, speaking ahead of the Paris leg of the visit, described the referendum move as “very risky”
“We will listen to him and see what he proposes,” he added.
“He launched this referendum project, it is something very risky. We hope Britain stays in the European Union, nevertheless there are things that need to be improved.”
After winning this month’s election with a narrow surprise majority, Cameron’s Conservative-only government will publish its first bill paving the way for a referendum by 2017 on whether Britain should leave the European Union.
Cameron said yesterday he hoped the measure would pass in “extra quick time” and has not ruled out holding the referendum vote next year.
“I find this process quite dangerous,” Fabius said of the vote.
The British population has gotten used to being told: ‘Europe is a bad thing’, and the day they are asked to decide, the risk is that they say Europe is a bad thing.
Fabius said Britain would “certainly” have the most to lose if it left the EU, but that the bloc would also suffer.
Britain “is a military power, a diplomatic power. If such an important country leaves Europe it will give an extremely negative impression of Europe.”
Cameron will also visit Berlin and Warsaw on his trip. He’ll also try and convince the Dutch premier to back his proposed changes to the UK’s membership.
- © AFP 2015. With reporting by Daragh Brophy.
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