Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk commented on former British leader David Cameron’s decision to hold a referendum on leaving the EU in 2016 and said he did not fully understand it.
In the interview, he stressed that at that time he held the post of President of the European Council.
“I believe this is one of the biggest mistakes in our (shared European) history. And today, in my view, it is much more obvious”
– Donald Tusk
According to the Polish official, Great Britain is not only part of it but also a source of the values and principles of a united Europe.
“When in the early 1990s we here in Poland spoke about our future membership in the EU, one of the strongest arguments in favor of Poland’s accession to the EU was the fact that Great Britain was part of it”
– Donald Tusk
According to the head of the Polish government, he continues to respect Cameron, but he still cannot understand how he could have risked the fate of his own country so lightly.
“I’m not going to blame anyone, because it was the citizens’ own decision. But Cameron was very frank with me. He was absolutely convinced that he would win the referendum, and that was one of the biggest mistakes in our history – to organize a referendum with the illusion that he would surely win, and the reason for this was very insignificant”
– Donald Tusk
Context of the remarks and consequences
According to official data, the United Kingdom left the European Union on the night of February 1, 2020.
In July 2023, a YouGov poll showed that 57% of Britons said Brexit was the wrong choice.