European Commission head Jean-Claude Juncker on Wednesday issued a rallying cry for unity after Brexit, saying the EU is not in danger of splitting up but must fight “galloping populism”.

In his annual State of the Union speech, Juncker unveiled plans including a European Union defense headquarters in a bid to find common ground after a year of crisis and division in the bloc.

“The European Union still does not have enough union,” Juncker told the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France, adding that the “next 12 months are the crucial time to deliver”.

“There are splits out there and often fragmentation where we need further union — that is leaving space for galloping populism,” he added, in a speech that mixed German, French and English.

Juncker’s keenly-awaited speech comes two days before the 27 EU leaders meet without Britain in the Slovakian capital Bratislava, for a summit aimed at drawing up a roadmap for the future after the British vote to leave the bloc.

The head of the EU executive warned Britain it could not expect “a la carte” access to the EU’s single market if it brings back immigration controls, signaling a wider hardening of Europe’s position ahead of negotiations with London.

“We respect and at the same time regret the UK decision, but the European Union as such is not at risk,” said Juncker, who officially launched the Commission’s Brexit “task force” on Wednesday.

Source: AFP