Emmanuel Macron, the President of France, expressed optimism regarding the possibility of Britain's return to the European Union. He stated that if the British Prime Minister moves towards this return, it will be good news for his country and for Europeans.
Need for a Unified Approach
Macron also pointed out that Britain cannot selectively approach its relations with the European Union while remaining outside this bloc. He said: "You cannot choose between the freedoms of the Union and what suits us, and ignore the rest."
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Comments from Sánchez and the European Commission
Pedro Sánchez, the Prime Minister of Spain, also referred to Britain's exit from the European Union as a result of a referendum in 2016, calling it "a great loss, both for the British population and for the entire European project." In a separate statement, European Commission spokesperson Balazs Ujvari said: "Britain is a close and valuable partner of the European Union. It is the responsibility of the British government to determine how it wants to develop its relationship with the European Union." He also added: "We remain ready to discuss the options that Britain may present."
The British Prime Minister and Options Ahead
In an interview with the BBC, Andy Burnham, the British Prime Minister, said that the country should look at various options regarding the European Union. He stated: "We can continue with the current situation. This is certainly an option if people think this is the right place to stay." He also mentioned that one of the options is to "move forward completely."
Burnham, in his speech at the annual Labour Party conference on Tuesday, said that "Brexit has caused more harm than good." He added that ahead of a meeting between the two sides in November, he will present "different" options for the relationship between Britain and the European Union.
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