EU Leadership: "Opening a New Chapter in History... Strength Lies in Unity, Not Isolation"

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeong Hyunjin] The European Union (EU) leadership warned on the 31st (local time) that Brexit (the United Kingdom's withdrawal from the EU) will open a new chapter in European history, and that the UK, having chosen isolation, will no longer be able to enjoy the benefits of membership.

According to daily newspapers such as The Guardian, Charles Michel, President of the European Council, David Sassoli, President of the European Parliament, and Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, held a press conference in Brussels, Belgium, ahead of Brexit on the same day and made these remarks.

Commission President von der Leyen said, "We want to have the best possible relationship with the UK, but it cannot be better than when it was a member state," adding, "Experience has taught us that strength does not lie in 'splendid isolation' but in unprecedented unity." 'Splendid isolation' refers to the 19th-century British foreign policy of distancing itself from continental Europe.

President von der Leyen stated that on Monday, February 3, the first Monday after Brexit, "we will open a new chapter in our history," and that this was the Commission's position on future relationship negotiations with the UK during the transition period after Brexit.

Earlier that day, the three leaders jointly contributed to several European media outlets, emphasizing that if the UK does not accept EU standards on environment, labor, taxation, and subsidies, it cannot expect very high-level access to the EU single market, stating, "If you are not a member state, you cannot maintain the benefits of membership." They added that without free movement of people, there can be no free movement of capital, goods, and services.

The leadership expressed regret, saying it was met with "deliberation and complex emotions," but also emphasized, "Tomorrow will be a new dawn for Europe." They said, "The past few years have brought us closer together," and "This is why European member states continue to unite their strength and build a common future."

Meanwhile, on the day of Brexit, the EU lowered the Union Jack, the UK flag, at major EU institution buildings in Brussels, including the European Commission, the European Council, and the European Parliament. The European Parliament moved one of the UK flags to the House of European History, a museum of European history.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.