VOA常速英语:Brexit Response Pits Economics Against Political Unity(翻译)

The European Union is licking its wounds after the Brexit vote while European integration has taken a painful blow. The bloc’s core members insist it won’t be fatal.

"We want to have the opportunity now to take care of Europe and its future. That means after the decision Great Britain made, negotiations on a British exit, or Brexit, should begin as soon as possible.”

British Prime Minister David Cameron who pledged to stand down by October will travel to Brussels on Tuesday. The following day, the 27 remaining member states will meet for the first time without Britain at the table.

Head of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker said the British exit will not be “an amicable divorce”,but neither have they ever had a “deep love affair.”But British isn’t just divorcing. Brussels is also leaving each of the member states and some of them want to stay friendly and keep the cost down. Others want British to feel the economic pain of the breakup.

And those differences will likely make for very difficult negotiations.“It’s not going to be quick, it’s not going to be easy, and it’s going to throw lots of opportunity for division and bitterness not just between the UK and the EU,but within British government and British politics, and within the remaining EU member states.”

Germany Business leaders have already said they don’t want trade barriers on Britain,but any concessions might encourage other members to follow Britain’s lead and leave the block.

"How does Germany respond to a situation where one of its largest trading partners has decided to leave the single market,which is a potential realistic scenario given that the leave campaign has made it clear—it doesn’t want to be in the single market in future? Will it prioritize economic links? But if it does, it risks damaging the political unity and the ideas.So the EU is going to struggle to find unity in balancing those two.”

Finding that balance will be a big test of Europe’s ability to survive Britain’s rejection.

Henry Ridgwell, the VOA News, Brussels.