PRAGUE (Sputnik) — Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico on Tuesday said that referendums on significant issues held in several EU member states, such as Italy and the United Kingdom, were incautious attempts, dangerous for the bloc itself, and the countries should refrain from holding such votes.
"I call on the leaders of the European Union to end with the reckless attempts, which have been the referendums on domestic issues in the United Kingdom and Italy," Fico said, as quoted by the Slovak Sme newspaper, adding that such votes "pose threat for the whole European Union."
He added that the Brexit move would result in a situation when one of the bloc's largest economies is to leave the common economic system, but a potential referendum in Italy on withdrawal from the Eurozone could be even more detrimental for the bloc.
On June 23, 2016, the United Kingdom held a referendum to determine whether or not the country should leave the European Union. The majority of Britons supported the decision to leave the 28-nation bloc.
On December 4, the Italians rejected the constitutional reform proposed by then-Prime Minister Matteo Renzi at the national referendum. Following the referendum, Renzi resigned.
Italy could also hold another referendum — on its exit from the Eurozone — as opposition parties such as the Five Star Movement have repeatedly proposed such a vote.
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