Brexit: Condemnation and disappointment among Belgian politicians

Belgian and European leaders have reacted to the news of the UK’s decision to leave the European Union. Flemish minister-president Geert Bourgeois stressed the need for a negotiated agreement with the British – what he called a “soft Brexit”.

“Of course I deplore the outcome of the referendum to leave the European Union,” he said this morning. “This weakens the UK, the EU and Flanders. The United Kingdom offers huge added value for Europe on a political and economic level. But we respect the British decision, and now we have to be pragmatic and take the necessary steps for a ‘soft Brexit’.”

He sketched out his vision of the future of Europe in the wake of the British decision. “The EU needs to regain trust. In order to do that, Europe needs to focus on those areas where, thanks to its scale, it can provide added value. A thorough debate on the future is needed.”

Belgian prime minister Charles Michel, meanwhile said that “the ball is now in the court of the British government. They would do well to announce the triggering of Article 50 of the European Treaty quickly, to alleviate uncertainty as much as possible. That will be the beginning of negotiations lasting about two years, which will look at the creation of a new type of co-operation with Great Britain. I will be looking out for Belgium’s interests and those of Europe. We must not be bitter, but their choice clearly has consequences.”

He described the situation as “a difficult moment” for European democracy. “We are waking up in a different Europe. But we need to grasp the opportunity to look ahead. The European dream is the most wonderful of the previous century. We need to find our perspective on a new dream.”

Crisis group formed

Federal economy minister Kris Peeters said the vote was “a wake-up call for the European project,” and the government would immediately begin considering the effect of the result.

“The choice of the British people will have political, diplomatic and also economic consequences for Belgium,” Peeters said. “As minister for the economy, I will be bringing together the crisis group, under the chair of Paul Buysse.” Buysse is the chair of the board of Bekaert and author of Belgium’s Code for Corporate Governance.

“The strong trade relations between Belgium and the UK have to be maintained,” continued Peeters. “Together with the crisis group and the National Bank, I will be advising the government on the impact of Brexit on the Belgian economy, and on the actions we might undertake to limit the impact.”

European Council president Donald Tusk, meanwhile, said he would be bringing together European leaders. “I have offered the leaders an informal meeting in the margins of the European council summit,” he said. “And I will also propose that we start a wider reflection on the future of our union.”

EU law, Tusk emphasised, still applies to the UK during the two-year negotiation process. “There will be no legal vacuum,” he said. “Until the United Kingdom formally leaves the European Union, EU law will continue to apply to and within the UK. By this I mean rights as well as obligations. All the procedures for the withdrawal of the UK from the EU are clear and set out in the treaties.”