EU Prez Juncker: Brexit Will Happen, No Second Referendum

The president of the European Commission has said he thinks Brexit will go ahead and there will not be a second referendum, whilst warning remaining member states they will have to pay more into the bloc’s budget.

“I don’t think Brexit can be put to the voters again. I don’t believe it,” Jean-Claude Juncker told a conference of European Union (EU) officials and national ministers, reported by The Times.

He also said that contributions by the bloc’s remaining 27 members would have to increase to cover the €18 billion annual hole in the budget left when the UK leaves, based on this year’s spending figures.

However, he also defended continued high levels of spending in the redistributive budget and even budget increases.

“I’m not in favour of any cuts,” he said. “Britain will be leaving us so we need to find a means [of] reacting to the loss of a significant number of billions in euros. It will be difficult for the budget coffers of Europe when a net contributor leaves.”

The UK has the second highest net contribution to the bloc, but is the fourth largest of gross contributors (13 per cent) after Germany, France, and Italy, who take out more in payments and benefits from the EU.

“We need more than 1 per cent of European GDP, quite clearly, if we are to pursue European policies and fund them quite adequately,” Mr. Juncker added, confirming contributions would increase after Brexit.

Britain will continue paying into the EU budget until at least 2020, into the so-called “transition period” if present plans go ahead, and EU leaders are preparing to battle over who will pick up the bill when the money stops.

The budget needs to rise, in large part, thanks to the EU’s expansionist agenda, recently announcing a new common defence budget and headquarters, as well as the possible creation of a finance minister – as President Macron of France has proposed.

“We don’t have any more cash to finance any extras,” Mr. Junker added. “This is going to be a bloodbath,” a senior EU official told The Times.