Yes in principle, but opt-outs are a sticking point for many

Key findings

  • 58% of French people and 63% of Germans support the UK rejoining the EU
  • However, 58-61% think the UK should have to participate in all major EU policies if it rejoined, like Schengen and the Euro
  • If it were only willing to rejoin with its old opt-outs, support for the UK rejoining falls to 36% in France and 39% in Germany
  • In Britain, support for rejoining stands at 55%, but falls to 35% if we could not keep our previous opt-outs

With YouGov research ahead of the 10th anniversary of the Brexit referendum showing that most Britons now wish to rejoin the European Union, new data from surveys the two biggest member states – France and Germany – shows that our continental peers think likewise.

In France, 58% of people say they would support the United Kingdom returning to the European fold, rising to 63% in Germany.

However, there is also a key public opinion impasse.

An outstanding question when it comes to ‘Breturn’ is whether or not the UK would be allowed to rejoin under the same terms we held when we left, which included not having to be in the Euro or the Schengen passport-free travel zone.

For the British public, this is too high a price to pay, as specifying these terms reduces support for rejoining the EU from 55% to 35%, with 43% now opposed.

However, the French and German publics are divided on whether they are willing to see the UK readmitted if it does not sign up to these core areas of EU alignment.

Our largest neighbours say that, if we want to rejoin the fold, the UK should have to participate in all major EU policy areas (58-61%). Only around one in five (18-20%) say the UK should be allowed to come back as if it had never left.

And so, in the event that the only basis on which the UK would be willing to rejoin the EU was if it got to keep its old opt-outs, continental support plummets for ‘Breturn’ becomes divided. In this scenario, 36% of French people would support the UK rejoining, but 40% are opposed. Similarly, while 39% of Germans would back the UK returning with its prior opt-outs, 40% are against this.

See the full results here

Interested in taking YouGov surveys? Do you think Britain was right to leave the EU? What do you think about the EU in general, and everything else? Have your say, join the YouGov panel, and get paid to share your thoughts. Sign up here.

Interested in commissioning YouGov research? We connect in real-time with real people around the world to gather their thoughts, behaviours, and opinions, to ensure that our research data is powered by reality. Explore our survey services here.

Photo: Getty

Subscribe to the YouGov newsletter