Brexit BOMBSHELL: Barnier Declares EU's Door OPEN to UK!

Ten years after the United Kingdom voted to leave the European Union by a 52% to 48% margin, former EU Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier stated that the decision to rejoin the bloc rests with the UK, but Brussels' conditions for re-entry are clear. His remarks, made on Euronews' programme "12 Minutes With," come as recent polling indicates a clear majority of the British public, across party lines, now views Brexit as a mistake. Barnier, who served as Prime Minister of France from September to December 2024, emphasized that while Brexit is a decided historical event, "the future is open, and the door is open."

Barnier highlighted that the UK government and its political parties are well aware of the conditions for rejoining the EU, asserting that London "cannot have its cake and eat it" in its future relationship with Brussels. He characterized Brexit as a "lose-lose game." While full EU membership requires adherence to all conditions, Barnier noted the possibility for the UK to join the single market—the bloc's borderless economic area—without becoming a full EU member, similar to Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway. However, he stressed that conditions for single market access are "very clear," including respect for the "four freedoms": free movement of goods, services, people, and capital.

Currently, becoming a full member of the single market is considered a non-starter in UK politics. The Labour government under outgoing Prime Minister Keir Starmer had drawn a "red line" against joining the single market, aiming to honor pre-election manifesto pledges and appease Leave voters while pursuing a "reset" with the EU. Starmer's approach focused on integrating the UK further into the market in specific sectors. Historically, however, the EU has not been open to such partial or "à la carte" arrangements, a stance echoed by Barnier, who advised against allowing the UK to cherry-pick from EU policies. The position of Andy Burnham, the most likely candidate to succeed Starmer, on single market and customs union membership remains unclear, despite urgings from Liberal Democrats and pro-EU Labour MPs to drop these "red lines" which Brussels views as obstacles to rapprochement.

Barnier also hinted at a potentially rapid re-entry process for the UK, provided there is continued alignment on regulation. This would circumvent the lengthy, complex, multi-phase accession process faced by candidate countries like Ukraine, Moldova, and Western Balkan states. He explained that the duration of the process would depend entirely on the UK's actions: "If from now to the time of new negotiations starting, the UK creates a huge divergence from the standards, the norms for food, for security, we will have a problem, and it will take time, much more time." Conversely, if "there is no divergence, no crucial divergence, it will be very rapid," as the situation differs significantly from that of entirely new applicants.

In the interim, Barnier suggested that Brussels and London could collaborate on numerous fronts, including defense, security, cooperation between services, and investment in artificial intelligence and new technologies. To facilitate this cooperation, he proposed the creation of a new body, "a kind of European Council for Defence and Security," operating "alongside the current institutions." This body would be open to countries not currently in the EU, such as the UK, Norway, or Ukraine.

The UK and EU had been engaged in "reset talks," hoping to finalize agreements on an agrifood deal (aligning sanitary and phytosanitary rules to slash barriers), an emissions trading deal, and a youth mobility scheme (granting special visas) at a summit scheduled for July 22. However, European Council President António Costa confirmed earlier this week that this meeting, whose date was set only recently at the G7 summit, would be postponed due to Starmer's resignation.