Focus – After Brexit, France welcomes the possibility of the UK returning to the EU

France’s finance minister said the United Kingdom would be welcome to return to the European Union, after British Prime Minister Andy Burnham left open the possibility that the Labour Party’s next political program could include a commitment to rejoining the EU.

In an interview with the BBC, French Finance Minister Roland Lescure said the decision on returning to the EU belongs to British citizens, but added that the United Kingdom can return at any time.

“The British people made the decision and, of course, that is entirely their right. If they wish to return, it will be their decision. But what I can tell them is, come back, at any time,” he said.

Lescure’s statement comes after Burnham suggested that the Labour Party could reconsider the issue of rejoining the EU in a future political program.

At the first Labour Party conference he attended as prime minister, Burnham said the issue was not about “moving immediately toward a referendum”, while he is trying to find a common political stance in the United Kingdom on the country’s future relations with the European Union and Brussels.

However, he said that if public opinion showed support for the UK returning to the EU, he could commit to holding a vote on the issue, including it in Labour’s next political program.

He also did not rule out the possibility that no referendum would be held at all and that the next parliamentary elections would be fought on a promise to return Britain to the EU.

Burnham is expected to meet today in Berlin with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, while the talks are expected to focus on defense and security issues.

His latest statements about a possible return to the European Union were welcomed by French President Emmanuel Macron and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, who declared he would welcome the UK back into the EU “with open arms”.

In his speech at the Labour Party conference, Burnham said Brexit had brought “more harm than benefit” and promised he would present the British public with the options for the future around the time of a UK-EU summit, which he said will take place in November.

“I cannot avoid the issue of Europe if I want to present a credible 10-year plan for the UK,” Burnham said in an interview with ITV News later.

Asked whether this could mean continuing relations in their current form, he replied that he did not know what Europe would say about the different possibilities.

“We need to see where we are, where they are, and determine what a realistic and workable approach is in all the areas we mentioned. Then we need to open a discussion on this issue,” he said.

Burnham said his political “instinct” was that it is better to be closer to the European Union, especially given all the threats we see around the world.