We need more union in the European Union: Juncker’s rallying call after Brexit

European Union leader Jean-Claude Juncker rallied support for the beleaguered bloc on Wednesday, calling for unity in the face of troubled times. The European Commission president said that standing together was the only way to fix the problems facing the 27 countries remaining after Britain’s shock vote to leave the union in July. In his State of the Union address, he acknowledged “we have many unresolved problems” and raised the question of whether the EU was in danger of folding. But he insisted: “The EU as such is not at risk.”

The facts are plain: The world is getting bigger. And we are getting smaller

Jean-Claude Juncker

Aides say Mr Juncker believes the divisions are as great as he has known them in three decades at the heart of EU politics. But he told the European parliament in Strasbourg that the remaining members should narrow their differences to address the problems they faced. “The European Union doesn’t have enough union,” Mr Juncker said. “There are splits out there and often fragmentation exists … That is leaving scope for galloping populism.” He went on to outline plans for a military headquarters to work towards a common military force and to bolster the digital economy by bringing wireless internet to every European city.

Europe must invest strongly in its youth, in its job seekers, in its startups

Mr Juncker

Politics