President Obama on Friday soberly assessed the United Kingdom’s vote to withdraw from the European Union, two months after he announced his preference for the U.K. to remain in the EU.
“The people of the United Kingdom have spoken, and we respect their decision,” Obama said following the vote.
When Obama visited the U.K. in April, he warned Britons against leaving the continental-wide consortium.
“I’m confident that the ties that bind Europe together are ultimately much stronger than the forces that are trying to pull them apart,” Obama erroneously predicted in London during a press conference with former Prime Minister David Cameron, who said on Friday morning he planned to resign by October given the result.
Back then, Obama warned that secession could spread across the continent if British voters led the way in Thursday’s referendum.
“I do also think that this vote will send a signal that is relevant about whether the kind of prosperity that we’ve built together is going to continue, or whether the forces of division end up being more prominent,” Obama said.
Less than 24 hours after Brits chose to exit the alliance, leading politicians in France and Holland called on their countrymen to follow suit.
After secessionists succeeded, Obama maintained that the “special relationship” with the U.K. is intact. But he also affirmed the U.S.’s partnership with the EU will not change.
“The United Kingdom and the European Union will remain indispensable partners of the United States, even as they begin negotiating their ongoing relationship to ensure continued stability, security, and prosperity for Europe, Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and the world.” Obama said in a statement issued early Friday morning from the West Coast, where the president is spending the weekend.
