Spanish prime minister Pedro Sánchez calls Brexit a ‘historic error’

“Unfortunately, it was not possible to reject the request of the UK to withdraw from the EU"

Spanish prime minister Pedro Sánchez has branded Brexit a "historic error" whilst speaking to parliament. He believes it will “diminish the influence and prosperity of the British people”. The centre-left first minister told MPs: “Unfortunately, it was not possible to reject the request of the UK to withdraw from the EU. Brexit is a tragedy for the British and for the Europeans”. “There are more things that unite us than those that separate us, let’s give priority to the union of Europe and Spain.” “Let’s take note of foreign mistakes, let’s learn from the historic error which Brexit represents for the United Kingdom and think about the prosperity of our citizens.” Sánchez told Spanish parliament that the country would have to implement emergency measures once the UK leaves the European Union, and that preparations for a no-deal must cover areas including the fishing industry, tourism and the rights of Spanish people who live in the UK. The premier also attempted to explain the difficult situation in regards to Brexit negotiations, claiming that “The British spend 24 hours a day thinking about Brexit and the Europeans think about it for four minutes every trimester.” According to a recent poll Spain is resolutely pro EU membership, predicting that the country’s electorate would vote to stay in by 87 per cent to 13.