Emmanuel Macron’s protégé has invited Britain to join a “United States of Europe” just 10 years after the UK voted to leave the European Union.
Gabriel Attal, who was the shortest-serving French Prime Minister of the Fifth Republic, opened the door to eight or 10 countries coming together as part of his pitch to succeed Mr Macron.
The 37-year-old’s proposal would see member states bind themselves together with common debt, common taxes and labour rules.
However, in a break with the current Brussels model, the union would operate under a directly elected president.
Extending an olive branch to Britain, Mr Attal said: “I hope that one day the United Kingdom will find its place again in this adventure if it freely chooses to join it.”
The ex-French Prime Minister, who had opened the door to Britain rejoining the EU, said the 27-member model had “reached its limits” amid pressure from “continent powers” such as the US and China.
Mr Attal suggested France’s existing nuclear deterrent could operate as the “new European nuclear umbrella” while the bloc shifts away from US protection.
However, the proposal is expected to face a backlash from Eurosceptic members of the EU, particularly given it includes measures to surrender more powers to Brussels.
Gabriel Attal served as Prime Minister of France for just eight months
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Other member states will also remain cautious of calls to adopt common debt, including in Germany and the Netherlands.
Meanwhile, France could soon turn in a different direction if Marine Le Pen secures the keys to power in 2027.
Opinion polls suggest Ms Le Pen, who was almost banned from standing in 2027, is well-ahead of her rivals.
Recent surveys found that the four-time National Rally contender is at least 10 points clear of Mr Attal in head-to-head polling.
Brexiteers were celebrating when Britain officially left the EU in January 2020 | PAJordan Bardella, who is hoping to serve as Ms Le Pen’s Prime Minister, told GB News earlier this month that France would adopt a more Eurosceptic approach if National Rally wins the next election.
He said: “I want France to remain France, to defend its tradition, equality amongst men and women, and defend freedom and rights.”
The prospect of Britain returning to the bloc comes just over a decade after voters backed Brexit in the 2016 referendum.
However, recent polling shows support for rejoining the EU has risen drastically since Britain left the bloc.
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage (right) attending a press conference with Jordan Bardella, president of France’s National Rally during the Reform UK National Conference | PABrexiteers have told GB News that such polls do not necessarily capture how voters would respond to the practical terms of any return, particularly if membership meant renewed financial contributions, free movement or accepting EU rules.
They believe support for rejoining could fall once the details of a proposed deal became clear and voters were confronted with the costs and obligations attached to membership.
That argument could become more significant if European leaders move beyond calls for closer UK-EU ties and begin setting out what Britain would actually have to accept to return.
Mr Macron mounted a similar push for closer European integration after unveiling the Spitzenkandidat system in 2019.
Protesters demonstrating in favour of Brexit | GETTYThe proposal would have tied the European Commission presidency to the results of the European Parliament elections.
Mr Macron ended up backing Ursula von der Leyen’s commitment to give member states control over who should head the European Commission.
Mr Attal appeared to take a veiled swipe at Ms Von der Leyen while unveiling his proposal for a “United States of Europe”.
The 37-year-old accused the German of being “too little, too late” in her State of the Union address and called on the EU to go “faster and further”.
Despite opinion polls suggesting some regret about the result of the 2016 Brexit referendum, Labour continues
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