“We have not come to Bratislava to reassure each other. Or, even worse, to deny the real challenges we are facing. At this particular time in the history of our community, after the British vote, the only thing that makes sense is a sensible and brutally honest assessment of the situation”. This was stated by Donald Tusk in the run-up to the summit that will be bringing together the 27 heads of state and government of the EU (British excluded) in the Slovakian capital today. “What we need is an optimistic scenario for the future. But it needs a realistic diagnosis of the causes of Brexit and its political consequences on all of Europe. One thing must be perfectly clear, here, in Bratislava: that we cannot start our talks in the belief that nothing is wrong, that everything was and is fine”. Tusk states: “I am absolutely certain that we must ensure our citizens – here in Bratislava as well as after our meeting – that we have learnt the lesson of Brexit, and that we can bring back stability and a feeling of effective safety and protection. I hope the so-called ‘Bratislava Roadmap’ I will be talking about is a first step in this direction”.