Germany tells Cameron: don't blackmail the EU

LONDON. January 11. KAZINFORM One of Angela Merkel's closest allies has warned David Cameron not to try to blackmail the rest of Europe. The prime minister was also told a UK referendum was a high-risk option that might paralyse Europe and end in economic disaster for Britain.

The chair of Germany's European affairs committee, Gunther Krichbaum, is leading a high-powered delegation from the German Bundestag on a two-day visit to Britain.

He said: "There is certainly a risk that [a referendum] could paralyse efforts for a better Europe and deeper integration. Britain would risk being isolated. That cannot be in Britain's interests."

Asked how Germany would respond to the UK's threat to block treaty changes designed to make the euro stronger if the UK is not granted the reforms it seeks, Krichbaum said: "You cannot create a political future if you are blackmailing other states. That will not help Britain. It needs a Europe that is stable. It needs markets that are functioning."

He also questioned whether Cameron would be able to control the terms of a referendum on renegotiated terms of membership, Kazinform quotes the Guardian.

"You have to ask yourself if it is wise to carry out a referendum. It is certainly possible to convince people of advantages of the EU. But there is always a risk that the referendum becomes - as Charles de Gaulle put it - less about the question asked and more about the person who's asking it."

He urged British Eurosceptics to think through the consequences of Britain leaving the EU, or adopting the same status as Switzerland or Norway.

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