GETTY Donald Tusk attacked the EU's handling of the refugee crisis

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The European Council president conceded the bloc could collapse if Brussels fails to tackle the unprecedented migrant crisis. And he called for national governments to help them reassure voters the border "chaos" of last year is over. Mr Tusk said: "All too often they heard politically correct statements that Europe cannot become a fortress, that it must remain open.

"We must demonstrate to our citizens that we are willing and able to protect them from a repeat of the chaos of 2015." And he admitted distrust of the EU's "political elite" is widespread, not just confined to the UK following June's Brexit vote. He said: "Today many people, not only in the UK, think that being part of the European Union stands in the way of stability and security."

GETTY The Eurocrat admitted distrust of the EU is widespread

Migrant crisis explained in numbers Fri, July 22, 2016 A monthly record of 218,394 migrants and refugees reached Europe by sea in October, the UN says, almost as many as the total number of arrivals in 2014. We take a look at the shocking statistics facing the humanitarian crisis. Play slideshow AFP/Getty Images 1 of 47 137 migrants of African origins were rescued by coast guard boats off the coast of Libya

GETTY The bloc was rocked by the Syrian refugee crisis last year

Mr Tusk made the staggering comments in a letter to the 27 EU leaders heading to Slovakia for a major summit on Friday. Voters will "start looking for alternatives" if the EU fails to quell fears over the refugee crisis and terror attacks, he added. The former Polish prime minister wrote: "It is crucial to restore the balance between the need for freedom and security."

GETTY Tusk will chair a EU summit on Friday – but May is not invited