Poll: Two-thirds of European Union citizens support Britain's return to the EU

2026-06-21 09:25:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

Poll: Two-thirds of European Union citizens support Britain's return to the

A new poll by the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) shows that two-thirds of European Union citizens would support the United Kingdom returning to the EU. At the same time, a majority of Britons believe that Brexit has had negative consequences on the issues they consider most important.

Ten years after the Brexit referendum, the survey conducted in 15 European countries revealed that 66% of respondents consider Britain's membership in the European Union a good, very good idea or at least neutral.

Support was lowest in Bulgaria (56%), France (59%) and Italy (59%), while highest in the Netherlands and Denmark, where it reached 75%, The Guardian writes.

Voters of right-wing Eurosceptic parties also expressed support for closer relations between the European Union and Britain. Majorities of supporters of the Confederation in Poland, the Alternative for Germany (AfD) and the National Rally in France favor further rapprochement.

Several European leaders have publicly expressed support for Britain's return to the EU. French President Emmanuel Macron has declared that the door is "always open," while Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has said that Spain would "absolutely" support such a return. Finnish President Alexander Stubb has gone further, saying that Europe needs Britain's voice and that "we miss you."

In the United Kingdom, a survey conducted in May showed that voters from almost all political parties, including supporters of Reform UK, believe that Brexit has had a negative impact on the country.

In fact, 58% of those who voted to leave the European Union in 2016 think that Brexit has worsened the illegal immigration situation.

When asked about the main benefits of Brexit, the most common answer was "I don't know", followed by "none of the above", suggesting that most Britons see no clear benefits from leaving the EU.

The poll also showed a big shift in attitudes towards free movement of citizens. Some 63% of respondents, including 57% of pro-Brexit voters, said they would accept free movement if it meant closer trading relations with the European Union.

Even among those who consider immigration to be the main concern, 44% are willing to accept free movement as part of a more favorable economic agreement with the EU.

In the area of ??security, 58% of Britons prefer closer cooperation with Europe, while only 19% consider the United States to be the main strategic partner. Over 60% support a “Buy European” policy for military purchases and 63% want Britain to participate in the development of a European nuclear deterrent force.

According to the report's author, Mark Leonard, the results show that the British public has changed significantly since 2016 and that there is now widespread support for a much closer relationship between the United Kingdom and the European Union. /CNA