Macron and Sanchez Signal Openness to UK Rejoining the EU

French President Emmanuel Macron and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez have expressed a welcoming stance toward the possibility of the United Kingdom rejoining the European Union. During Macron’s visit to Madrid on Wednesday, the French leader responded to the idea with a direct message: “Welcome back.” He stated that if British leadership is moving in that direction, it would be “very good news” for both the UK and Europeans.

However, Macron cautioned that any future partnership must be comprehensive. “You cannot choose between the freedoms of the union and decide to take what suits us and not the rest,” he said, emphasizing that the UK cannot adopt an a la carte approach to its relationship with the bloc.

Sanchez echoed these sentiments, describing the UK’s 2016 decision to leave as “a huge loss” for both the British population and the European project. He affirmed that Spain would “applaud” a return and “open its arms again to a brotherly people” if the UK were to rejoin.

European Commission spokesperson Balazs Ujvari also issued a statement, noting that the UK remains a “close and valued partner” and that the commission is open to discussing options put forward by the British government.

On the British side, Prime Minister Andy Burnham has not ruled out closer ties, telling the BBC that the UK should evaluate various scenarios. While acknowledging the status quo as an option, Burnham indicated that “going all the way” toward full membership or rejoining the single market or customs union are possibilities to consider. These remarks followed an emotional speech at the Labour Party conference in Liverpool on Tuesday, where he declared that Brexit has done “more harm than good.”