Fabius, EU Parliament Chief Say Cameron's Europe à la Carte not Option
France on Wednesday branded British Prime Minister David Cameron's plan to hold an in-out referendum on its European Union membership as dangerous.
"It risks being dangerous for Britain itself because Britain outside of Europe, that will be difficult," Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius told France Info radio.
France wants Britain to play a positive role in the EU but cannot accept that member states are allowed to pick and choose which policies they sign up to, Fabius said in a response to Cameron's announcement that he will seek to renegotiate the terms of Britain's EU membership.
"We can't have Europe a la carte," Fabius insisted. "Imagine the EU was a football club: once you've joined up and you're in this club, you can't then say you want to play rugby."
Cameron promised a referendum between 2015-17. That is after the next British election so it will only take place if Cameron's Conservative Party remains in power after a vote that must take place by 2015 at the latest.
Cameron said in a long-awaited speech that he wants to renegotiate the terms of Britain's EU membership before putting the new deal to a vote.
As well as signaling that France would oppose Cameron's plans to build a new, exclusively trade-based relationship with the EU, Fabius said withdrawal from the bloc would hit investment in Britain.
"The other day I had a meeting with British businessmen and I told them: Listen, if Britain decides to leave Europe, we will roll out the red carpet for you."
The EU needs Britain to remain "a fully fledged member" of the bloc, European parliament president Martin Schulz said.
"We need a UK as a fully fledged member not harboring in the port of Dover," Shulz said on twitter. "UK can shape EU by working with its partners."
Schulz said in a separate tweet: "Cameron's Europe à la carte not an option. We have to focus on jobs&growth rather than getting lost in treaties discussions."
Cameron infuriated French leaders last year by remarking that he would roll out a red carpet for entrepreneurs moving to London to escape France's higher wealth taxes.
Source: Agence France Presse
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