French President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday welcomed British Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s suggestion that the UK could potentially return to the European Union, responding in English with, "Welcome back."
Speaking at a news conference in Madrid alongside Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, Macron said in French that a British move towards rejoining the bloc would be positive for both the UK and Europe.
"If the British want to come back and if the prime minister is moving in that direction, I think that is very good news both for his country and for Europeans," Macron said. "Come back," he added while standing next to Sanchez.
Burnham, who became prime minister in July after Labour MPs removed Keir Starmer, had earlier told an interview that returning to the EU could be one of the options Britain may consider when determining its long-term relationship with Europe.
His remarks followed an address at the governing Labour Party’s annual conference, where he said he would present "different options" for the UK’s future relationship with the EU ahead of a planned summit with the bloc later this year.
Macron recalled Britain’s role during its time as an EU member, saying the UK had "always been useful in helping us simplify things" and describing it as a country that had been made up of "demanding partners".
"Andy Burnham is right to have this boldness," Macron said.
However, Macron also cautioned that Britain cannot seek selected benefits of closer integration while remaining outside the EU. Reflecting on the situation a decade after the Brexit vote, he stressed that the UK would have to accept the broader conditions associated with closer ties.
"You cannot choose between the freedoms of the union and decide to take what suits us and not the rest," he said.
Sanchez similarly criticised the consequences of Brexit, describing it as "a huge loss, both for the British population and for the whole European project".
He added that Spain would welcome a British bid to return to the EU, saying, "then of course Spain would applaud it and open its arms again to a brotherly people".
(With Inputs From Agencies)
