Vesna Pusic, until recently Croatia’s Foreign Minister and now a candidate for the next UN Secretary General, offered her thoughts on Britain’s role with the EU on February 21, 2016, in light of recent events. The statement was released to the Croatian media – the English version in full.
In the first days of summer of this year, Britain will go to a referendum on whether to stay in the EU, or leave it, most probably for good. It’s a first. Never before have the citizens of any EU member state been asked if they wanted to leave. On the other hand, it is a very old question; it is probing the ties between Continental Europe and the UK. How strong is the connection and, more importantly, how strong is the interdependence? At every crucial moment, turning point or major crisis throughout history, if and when Britain and Continental Europe stood together they profited, if they stood alone they suffered. There are many reasons why this connection is so important, from economy to security, from creative arts to scientific research, from civic rights to safeguarding basic freedoms. But if I had to describe it in just a few words – Continental Europe brings strength and numbers to the relationship; UK brings common sence. I believe this speaks for itself.
David Cameron, the British PM, in his negotiations with the other 27 member states and other EU leaders, got what he wanted – a special status for the UK within the Union. At the same time, he did not attack the foundations of the EU, did not start a process of unravelling which would ultimately hurt Britain and British economy. There were, and will be, times in which the EU stands strong, stable and everybody’s obvious choice. It has made all its members safer and richer. Right now, however, it is going through a crisis, made more shocking by the fact that it has had so few problems for a such a long time. It is not Europe’s finest hour and that makes it even more important to stay together and work together. UK’s position and demands are important for everybody and there is hardly anybody who would not support trimming parts of EU’s bureaucracy or overcomplicated procedures.
At the same time we all need to safeguard EU’s fundamental institutions, basic freedoms and standards. This is why it is so important and why I hope the British people will decide to stay. That Britain will, like so many times in the past, decide to fight on, not for an ever closer but for an ever better Union.
