Macron to Burnham: "welcome back" if the UK were to return to the EU

This morning the newspaper had reported, in the Brief News section, the remarks by British prime minister Andy Burnham, which have reignited the debate on a possible return of the United Kingdom to the European Union. In the afternoon comes the first public reaction from a European leader: French president Emmanuel Macron said that if the United Kingdom chose to return to the European Union he would say “welcome back” (transl. from English).

Macron’s statement came during a joint press conference with Spanish prime minister Pedro Sánchez. The sources consulted do not report any direct statements from Sánchez on the matter, and the piece does not attribute to Madrid a position that is not documented.

On the procedural front, the indications that emerged today clarify an aspect that had so far remained in the background: the British government could, on paper, submit the membership application without a new referendum. It remains likely, however, according to the same sources, that a new electoral step would nonetheless accompany such a far-reaching decision, given its political significance.

The picture that is taking shape today thus brings together three distinct elements: Burnham’s remarks, which reopened the debate; France’s explicit willingness to welcome a possible return; and the uncertainty surrounding the institutional path such a process would require. None of the sources consulted indicate a timeline or any formal act already initiated by London in this direction.

The question of how the British government would concretely proceed remains open, based on the data available today: a membership application without direct popular consultation would represent a politically delicate choice, also in light of the referendum precedent that defined relations between London and Brussels in past years. The next observable step will be whether, and how, Downing Street will formalise an official position on this scenario.