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Quotable quotes on Brexit vote

Xinhua, June 24, 2016 Adjust font size:

The Leave camp won Britain's Brexit referendum on Friday morning by obtaining nearly 52 percent of ballots, pulling the country out of the 28-nation European Union (EU) after its 43-year membership.

The result has sparked a torrent of reactions around the world, especially in Britain and in the EU. The following are some quotable quotes.

-- David Cameron, British prime minister:

The British people have made the very clear decision to take a different path and as such I think the country requires fresh leadership to take it in this direction. I will do everything I can as prime minister to steady the ship in coming months, but I do not think it would be right for me to captain that ship. There is no need for a precise timetable today, but we should aim to have a new prime minister in place by the start of Conservative conference in October.

-- Nigel Farage, head of the UK Independence Party:

Let June 23 go down in our history as our independence day. The eurosceptic genie is out of the bottle and it will now not be put back. EU's finished, EU's dead.

-- Donald Tusk, EU president:

It is true that the past years have been the most difficult ones in the history of our Union, but I always remember what my father used to tell me -- "What does not kill you make you stronger."

-- Martin Schulz, European Parliament president:

Today on behalf of the 27 leaders, I can say that we are determined to keep our unity as 27. The chain reaction that is being celebrated everywhere now by eurosceptics won't happen.

-- Wolfgang Schaeuble, German finance minister:

Europe will stand together now. Together, we must make the best of the decision taken by our British friends.

-- Frank-Walter Steinmeier, German foreign minister:

The news from Britain is truly sobering. It looks like it's going to be a sad day for Europe and for Britain.

-- Matteo Renzi, Italian prime minister:

We have to change it to make it more human and more just, but Europe is our home, it's our future.

-- Mariano Rajoy, Spanish acting prime minister:

This result must make all (EU) member states reflect on how to strengthen ourselves more than ever to win back the vigor of the original spirit behind the European project and recover the interest, sympathy and attraction our citizens feel towards it.

-- Mark Rutte, Dutch prime minister:

Firstly it's a disappointing result. It's also a stimulus to reform the EU. I don't believe there's much interest in a (similar )referendum (in the Netherlands). Endi