Macron Welcomes the Possibility of Britain's Return.. "Brexit is the Biggest Lie"

French President Emmanuel Macron welcomed the possibility of Britain returning to the European Union, coinciding with the reopening of discussions in the United Kingdom regarding its relationship with the European bloc, including the possibility of rejoining it.

Macron stated during a conference with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez in Madrid on Wednesday that he would welcome Britain's return to the EU if it decided to rejoin the bloc, considering that Britain's return would be "excellent news and a good decision," while Sánchez supported the French president's position.

Macron also pointed out that London cannot pick and choose which EU freedoms it wants while keeping the rest of the commitments outside the framework of membership, adding: "We can see the limits of what Britain can do when it wants to re-engage with us while remaining outside the Union, because you cannot pick the freedoms that the Union provides... you cannot decide to take what suits you and leave the rest."

Before his statements at the press conference, Macron described Brexit as "the biggest lie of the past thirty years" during a meeting with students at Complutense University in Madrid on Tuesday evening, as part of his official visit to Spain.

He also described Britain's exit from the Union as a "catastrophic exception," criticizing the promises that accompanied the campaign to leave the bloc, adding: "Those who said: We will become richer, after ten years the GDP has decreased by eight points. They said: We will solve the immigration problem, but it has become more complicated than before. They said: We will achieve great success in international trade, but the situation has worsened."

Macron's statements came at a time when the "Brexit" issue has returned to the forefront of political discussion in Britain, after British Prime Minister Andy Burnham announced that he would present different options regarding the long-term relationship between the United Kingdom and the European Union, including remaining outside the bloc, enhancing cooperation through the customs union or the single market, and even the possibility of "going all the way" and returning to EU membership.

Burnham stated in an interview with BBC Radio on Wednesday that Britain could "go all the way," referring to the possibility of reconsidering EU membership, emphasizing that the government would examine what is possible and the advantages and disadvantages of each option.

The British Prime Minister had pledged, during the Labour Party conference in Liverpool, to present different options to the country regarding its long-term relationship with its European partners, while confirming that "Brexit has caused more harm than benefit," as he provided a negative assessment of the results of Britain's exit from the European Union.

It is worth noting that the United Kingdom left the European Union and its single market and customs union on December 31, 2020, after years of negotiations that followed the 2016 referendum. Since then, London and Brussels have been seeking to reset the relationship between the two sides through new agreements and arrangements in the areas of trade, energy, immigration, and mobility, while Britain and the European Union are preparing for an upcoming summit to discuss further aspects of cooperation in November.