EU wakes to biggest crisis in its history as Merkel ally warns: No special treatment
Brussels is faces a “nightmare” this morning as Brexit plunged the European Union into the gravest crisis in its 59-year history.
Geert Wilders, the Dutch anti-immigration leader, this morning called for a referendum on the Netherland’s membership of the EU following the Brexit vote.
"We want be in charge of our own country, our own money, our own borders, and our own immigration policy," he said in a statement.
He was among the first European figures to respond to the result. Senior EU officials have privately warned that a number of states could follow Britain out the bloc in a “contagion” of votes.
Marine Le Pen, the leader of the Front National who is polling strongly in France, said she was “celebrating the liberty of nations".
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Manfred Weber, a senior German conservative MEP and a close ally of Angela Merkel, has warned Britain will receive "no special treatment" and must leave the EU within two years.
He writes in four tweets: "We respect and regret the decision of the British voters. It causes major damage to both sides.
"This was a British vote, not a European vote. Co-operation within Europe is a question of self-assertion of the continent
"We want a better and smarter Europe. We have to convince the people and bring Europe back to them.
"Exit negotiations should be concluded within two years at max. There cannot be any special treatment. Leave means leave."
A crisis meeting will be held this morning in Brussels between Donald Tusk, the president of the European Council, Jean-Claude Juncker, the president of the Commission, Martin Schulz, the president of the Parliament, and Mark Rutte, the Dutch Prime Minister who chairs the rotating presidency.
Alexander Stubb, the former Finnish prime minister, said it was a “bad nightmare”.
"Please tell me I'm still sleeping and this is all just a bad nightmare!" Mr Stubb, who was prime minister in 2014-15 and finance minister until this week, wrote on Twitter.
"Usually these things advance in three stages: 1. Crisis; 2. Chaos; 3. Sub-optimal solution. Don't know where we are at this stage.”
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