Juncker: EU hopes UK will later rejoin bloc
January 17, 2018
President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker on Wednesday said that if Britain goes ahead with Brexit, he hoped the nation would later apply to rejoin the bloc.
Speaking to the European Parliament, Juncker said that even if Article 50 were designed to allow Britain to leave the bloc, there is another article that "would allow them to accede again and I would be happy to facilitate that."
Read more: EU heads warm to idea of UK canceling Brexit
"I still feel the exit of Britain is a catastrophe, yes, a defeat we all have to take responsibility for," Juncker said.
"But the reasons for the British exit lie deeper. As Prime Minister [Theresa] May has said, the British never felt at ease in the EU and for 40 years they haven't been given the chance to feel more at ease. That is why the blame is on many," he added.
Read more: EU leaders formally approve second Brexit phase
Britain voted for Brexit 52 percent to 48 percent in a June 2016 referendum, and the exit date is set for March 29, 2019.
On Tuesday, Juncker endorsed a statement by European Council President Donald Tusk that Britain would be welcome to remain in the EU.
Read more: Brexit poll: Half of Britons support second referendum
"Mr Tusk and I once again reached out to the British government yesterday and said that if the British people, the British parliament, the British government, wish for another way than Brexit, we would be prepared to discuss it," Junkcer said.
"We are not throwing out the British, we want them to stay. And if they want to, they should be able to," he added.
France would also welcome change of heart
France would "look with kindness" towards a decision by Britain to reverse the direction of Brexit and remain in the EU, an adviser to French President Emmanuel Macron said on Wednesday.
"If tomorrow, or the day after, the United Kingdom decided to change its mind, it's clear that we would look at this with kindness," the adviser said. "But it's not up to us to say if the UK wants to change its mind."
Read more: 2018: The year of Brexit decisions
British government still set on exit
British Prime Minister Theresa May's spokesman said on Tuesday that the UK would be following through with the referendum vote to leave the EU in March next year.
Former UK Independence Party leader Farage on Wednesday retracted earlier comments he had made about warming to the possibility of a second referendum, in a debate with Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar in the European Parliament.
Read more: Brexit: Nigel Farage warming to possibility of second referendum vote
"I would just say this to you: I don't want a second referendum on Brexit, absolutely not," the former UK Independence Party leader said.
The UK and EU in December decided on some partial and tentative agreements for a few specific issues, such as how much money the UK will need to pay upon leaving, and the status of the current border between the EU's Republic of Ireland and the UK's Northern Ireland.
law/kms (AP, AFP)