Germany Favors 2016 U.K. Referendum to Reduce Uncertainty
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Chancellor Angela Merkel’s coalition wants the U.K. to bring forward its European Union referendum to avoid lengthy ambiguity over British membership in the bloc.
While the chancellery fundamentally views a referendum as a bad idea, if Prime Minister David Cameron does move forward, then 2016 is seen as the lesser of two evils, said an official with knowledge of Merkel’s thinking. A 2017 vote, as currently planned, would create the added headache of colliding with Germany’s parliamentary election, the official said.