World leaders in shock, EU to look inward, as Britain votes to go
(Agencies) Updated: 2016-06-24 15:23SWEDISH EU MINISTER ANN LINDE
"We must show people why we believe the EU is important, why we need to remain. We have to look at the things that matter in people's everyday lives, perhaps where there have been ambiguities, where there's been arrogance and where people have felt it's been an elite project ... It is a very serious situation for Great Britain, but also for the EU."
MARINE LE PEN, HEAD OF FRENCH FAR-RIGHT NATIONAL FRONT PARTY
"Victory for freedom! We now need to hold the same referendum in France and in (other) EU countries."
FIRST MINISTER OF SCOTLAND NICOLA STURGEON
"Scotland has delivered a strong, unequivocal vote to remain in the EU, and I welcome that endorsement of our European status."
MANFRED WEBER, WHO REPRESENTS GERMAN CHANCELLOR ANGELA MERKEL'S POLITICAL GROUP IN THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT
"(The decision) ... causes major damage to both sides, but in first line to the UK ... There cannot be any special treatment for the United Kingdom ... 'Leave' means 'leave'. The times of cherry-picking are over."
GIANNI PITTELLA, LEADER OF THE SOCIALISTS AND DEMOCRATS IN THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT
"It is sad but it is not the funeral of the European Union."
EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT PRESIDENT MARTIN SCHULZ
"I expect that the negotiations on the exit will now begin quickly."
NIGEL FARAGE, LEADER OF THE BRITISH ANTI-EU PARTY UKIP
"The EU is failing, the EU is dying."
EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT MEMBER BEATRIX VON STORCH OF THE EUROSCEPTIC GERMAN AFD PARTY
"The European Union has failed as a political union."
