Britain is in a hole – Europe, we need you to dig us out | Timothy Garton Ash

Brexit just got serious. If parliament can somehow take control, EU leaders must take pity and offer a long delay

When European leaders discuss Brexit on Thursday, they should have in mind a fundamental question: is the EU just a union of governments, or is it also a Europe of citizens, peoples, democracy and destiny? If it’s just the former, they should continue the current mainstream Brussels line of trying to help Theresa May to get her deal over the line, and the UK out of the European Union as soon as possible. If Europe is also the latter, as French president Emmanuel Macron has eloquently argued, then they must recognise that May’s government is the problem, not the solution, and give time for the citizens, peoples and democracy of Britain to work their way to a better place.

More than 16 million British citizens voted for Britain to remain in the EU in 2016. Were European citizenship personal and direct, rather than contingent upon being a citizen of a member state, the EU would have a clear responsibility towards us, the British Europeans. If we were a country, we would be the ninth largest in the EU, after the Netherlands and before Belgium. We are joined by some 3 million citizens of other EU countries who live in Britain. That makes 19 million.

Related: Brexit: EU to allow short article 50 extension only if MPs vote for deal, says Tusk – Politics live

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