Brexit is Chance to Transform EU Into 'Europe of Citizens' - German Party

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — On Thursday, the United Kingdom held a referendum in which 51.9 percent of voters opted for the country to quit the bloc. Following the final results, UK Prime Minister David Cameron, who had campaigned to remain in the European Union, announced his decision to resign.

"June 23rd is a good day for democracy. Now we have a chance to transform the EU into a Europe of citizens. Today the EU is more a project of bureaucrats and elites. I hope that responsible politicians in Berlin and Brussels draw this conclusion," Pazderski, who is also a member of AfD's national board, said, warning that "otherwise more countries will follow the good example of Britain."

"David Cameron has shown greatness. He congratulated the Leave Team and stepped down," the AfD politician praised the British prime minister's decision.

He added that many Germans would like to hold a referendum on the EU question, with AfD calling on the German government to facilitate this.

The British decision came at a time when anti-EU sentiment is on the rise. According to a survey issued by the Pew Research Center earlier in June, 47 percent of respondents in 10 European states have an "unfavorable view" of the European Union. According to an earlier poll conducted by Ipsos Mori in May, almost half (45 percent) of Europeans in Belgium, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Poland, Spain and Sweden thought their own country should hold a referendum on its EU membership.