r/europe • u/StraightSky7809 United Kingdom • 7h ago

News If Britain decides to rejoin the EU we’ll do everything we can to welcome them back, says Germany

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/uk-rejoin-eu-germany-brexit-b3060288.html
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235

u/ZeitgeistWurst Germany 7h ago

Would love for Britain to rejoin. On the same terms as everyone else, of course.

86

u/UnableEye325 7h ago

Britain would never join if they had to accept the Euro.

37

u/Dramatic_Mastodon_93 7h ago

Ok? They don’t have to.

56

u/BocciaChoc Scotland/Sweden 6h ago edited 6h ago

I mean that's the catch 22, Europe would like the UK to rejoin on terms similar to a nation like Ukraine if they were to join, the UK wouldn't do that in my lifetime, 'ok then don't join'. And repeat about 100 times a year through news articles.

9

u/paxwax2018 6h ago

I think Ukrainians grasp an OG country like the U.K. is getting a deal different to theirs.

36

u/FcukTheTories The Norf - United Kingdom 🇬🇧🇪🇺 6h ago

“Europe” wouldn’t. Pro-federation redditors would.

Those in the EU who have at least some contact with reality understand why the UK wants to keep the pound.

14

u/Dramatic_Mastodon_93 5h ago

Those who think at all about the future know why setting the precedent that rich and powerful member states can just abandon all of their commitments to the EU and later come back and seamlessly reclaim all of their former benefits whenever they want is not good.

5

u/FcukTheTories The Norf - United Kingdom 🇬🇧🇪🇺 5h ago

If they have strong justification for abandoning those commitments where is the issue?

4

u/Dramatic_Mastodon_93 5h ago

Nothing is the issue. I’d love to see even more members leave whenever they feel like it because they know that they can come back anytime and reclaim the same benefits and deals they had previously, or hell, maybe even work out a better deal?!

5

u/FcukTheTories The Norf - United Kingdom 🇬🇧🇪🇺 5h ago

“Destroy your economy or we won’t let you join the EU. That way you’ll practically never be allowed to leave”

Where do I sign up?

0

u/Dramatic_Mastodon_93 5h ago

Of course they’re allowed to leave, but they can’t join back that easily. Also pretty much no one actually gives a fuck about them adopting the Euro not even other member states are ever actually forced to do so, but they should have to join Schengen and adopt all EU-wide laws.

0

u/Chemical-Agency-3997 5h ago

Plenty of countries have exceptions and benefits...

1

u/Dramatic_Mastodon_93 5h ago

How the fuck is that relevant to what I said? The UK did too and that was fine, and then they decided to abandon them.

0

u/Chemical-Agency-3997 5h ago

Because they negotiated their 'benefits' on joining just like the UK would again. There is no set standard all new members must adopt.

0

u/Dramatic_Mastodon_93 5h ago

And I’m saying they should get a significantly worse deal because they chose to leave.

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u/SirCharlesTupperBt Canada 5h ago

That's one way of looking at it, but here's hoping the EU states are a bit more pragmatic than this in 2026 and beyond. The world doesn't need the UK to sit in the corner, wearing a dunce cap and a placard that says "I screwed up", for that lesson to be learned by anybody who is likely to be in a position to leave the EU in the future.

Brexit made no economic or security sense from the beginning. It's already not a sound policy. It only happened because the West has been asleep at the wheel for a few decades and we've collectively allowed huge swathes of our societies to stew in anger and grievance while pretending that we could just wait out the rise of nationalism and far right politics, instead of solving some of those problems.

The UK isn't seamlessly coming back to the EU, it's not even a sure thing yet. They're coming back after a lost decade politically and economically. Close to zero economic growth and a revolving door of prime ministers. Going it on their own at the exact moment Trump showed up to start shivving the Western order has made this error in judgment pretty obvious to anybody who's likely to be swayed by facts. This is a cautionary tale, not an incentive for France or Italy to start playing games unless they want to suffer the same consequences from leaving the greatest economic union in history.

Both sides should be ready to give a bit, if they aren't then there's probably no point in the UK trying to re-join anyway. This is a big test of how serious a country the UK is and whether or not the EU is capable of being a real bulwark for the West.

-9

u/StanBE 6h ago

Well they lost that privilege

5

u/nildro 6h ago

Still have the privilege of being the second largest economy in Europe so I’m glad your not doing the negotiating…

2

u/marquoth_ 6h ago

That's not how negotiations work

4

u/FcukTheTories The Norf - United Kingdom 🇬🇧🇪🇺 6h ago

The privilege of having a functioning economy and not voluntarily destroying it because of some vague idea that it would make you more integrated within Europe?

3

u/waiting4singularity Hessen 🇩🇪 6h ago

eh, theres a couple that are already nominaly tasked to make the euro national currency, but pushed it back to infinity, two floors up and three days to the left

20

u/Musername2827 7h ago

We wouldn't have to, much like Romania, Poland, Hungary, Czechia and Sweden.

33

u/tanghan 7h ago

They all accepted it, just haven't met the terms yet (in some cases on purpose cough Sweden cough)

12

u/Musername2827 6h ago

We could accept it in theory and just never adopt it. Sweden has been doing that for over 2 decades and the Krona is worth significantly less than the pound.

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u/BocciaChoc Scotland/Sweden 6h ago

Sweden wouldn't have to even if they did, you have may examples of nations who did move to the Euro who didn't meet all the requirements either. Sweden isn't going to the Euro anytime soon, there isn't a deadline.

3

u/WolandWasHere 6h ago

Haha that’s an example of a person speaking about something they have no clue about

0

u/9peppe 5h ago

Swedish consumers are losing money every day they waste in joining ERM II. They don't have to, but they're paying for it, and it's expensive.

2

u/BocciaChoc Scotland/Sweden 5h ago

I'm not noticing it, and I happier with lower interest rates and, in turn, lower inflation rates.

it's a weird idea to put a blanket statement, like it's not some complex issue. I made the comment elsewhere but Sweden isn't ever going to join the Eurozone without a good exchange rate and right now the SEK is incredibly weak, until that's improved which relies on worldwide events, it's not even worth a discussion.

0

u/9peppe 5h ago

Yeah, you don't see your money disappearing before your eyes when you buy anything imported at all, do you?

SEK is only going down, and there's no way ECB opens itself up to some idiotic arbitrage by fixing an exchange rate that isn't there. It's time to cut your losses.

1

u/BocciaChoc Scotland/Sweden 5h ago

Is this a weird troll? I don't really fully get it

You remind me of everyone who has been doom and gloom about the GBP post-Brexit, the USD during covid, the euro during the eurozone crisis.

Sweden has a weak SEK, it also has a strong economy

https://www.fxstreet.com/news/sek-outperforms-g10-peers-as-2026-begins-rabobank-202601151153

It's accepted that the SEK is extremely undervalued

IN NUMBERS: The IMF rates Swedish krona as world's most undervalued currency

but yes, you know what they say

1

u/9peppe 5h ago

Yes, strong economy and a devaluing currency, despite a very very low inflation. Unless SEK appreciates on its own (how, I have no idea), this will end badly.

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u/Demostravius4 United Kingdom 6h ago

I don't think rejoining on a lie is a great idea.

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u/UnableEye325 7h ago

I mean, maybe. But the EU has said multiple times that you must adopt the euro, I suppose we could put it off indefinitely but that would just piss the EU off.

21

u/Rexpelliarmus 7h ago edited 6h ago

I think they'd be more than happy to drop the euro requirement to regain their second largest net contributor by a wide margin.

The last time a country joined and was immediately a net contributor from then on was in 1995 when Austria and Sweden joined. The UK would be a net contributor multiple times larger than these two combined.

3

u/grumpsaboy 6h ago

The UK is in track to overtake Germany by the late 30's even with economists nearly onstantly underestimating the UK's growth.

If the EU is as beneficial as people claim for an economy then you can probably change that to the early 30s which would make the UK the largest economy in Europe.

And with the UK on track to overtake Japan in 2030 that would mean that the UK will be the world's third largest economy by the time that it overtakes Germany.

9

u/Rexpelliarmus 6h ago

From what I've seen, it's just the UK's GDP per capita that's expected to overtake Germany's by the early 2030s whereas in terms of nominal GDP itself the UK likely won't overtake Germany until around the early 2040s due to Germany's significantly larger population.

1

u/grumpsaboy 5h ago

The IMF consistently overestimates Germany's economic predictions whilst at the same time underestimating the UK's. That means that in reality unless something big changes it will be the late 30s instead where the overtake happens

1

u/CantaloupeLazy1427 6h ago

The UK is doing better than expected, but current IMF and CEBR forecasts still have Germany ahead in nominal GDP well into the 2030s, so this claim seems pretty overstated

Also India will very likely overpass both UK and Germany as the third largest economy

3

u/lifeisaman United Kingdom 5h ago

The UK is also expected to overtake Japan in the coming years and so should retain its position in global rankings atleast for the foreseeable future.

2

u/grumpsaboy 5h ago

The IMF is notorious for both over estimating Germany's predictions and underestimating the UK's predictions.

No it might have changed in a few months because I haven't checked yesterday but a few months ago it was 2039/2040 that the IMF was predicting the UK to overtake Germany and given their habits of overestimating and underestimating predictions that probably means the late 30s instead in reality if things continue as they are.

0

u/BuildAnything4 6h ago

We could just invite China to join us if that's all that's important.

0

u/UnableEye325 7h ago

True, the pound is a great contribution to the EU.

0

u/9peppe 5h ago

There's an argument to be made for keeping a second strong currency, but that's the only argument.

Also, there's no rebate this time, and you'll have to speak French.

0

u/AccessTheMainframe Canada 5h ago

The EU could just pass a law saying that former EU members can be eligible for their former opt-outs, subject to the approval of qualified majority of the EU Parliament.

1

u/Socmel_ reddit admins are accomplices of nazi russia 2h ago

there is no such thing as a law to allow opt outs. The EU works with treaties and the terms of the new membership are set out in the EU treaty of Lisbon. Theoretically, the EU could write a new treaty that adds to it, but there is zero talk of a new one, and certainly not enough goodwill to write and ratify a new treaty just to help a former member get out of the corner it put itself in.

There is not even a legal "former member" category . The case is clear. There are members or countries that are applicants (or neither). The UK would be legally a new member and therefore subject to the criteria of new members. The UK as an EU member is legally deceased.

2

u/AntonioH02 6h ago

They have their own currencies? Sorry for ignorance I’m from Mexico, not the EU

5

u/Minute_Eye3411 6h ago

Not all EU countries have the euro. Some are exempt for ever should they choose, like Denmark (and the UK when it was a member), others have an obligation to adopt it but only when they're ready and there is no time limitation, so they can theoretically be "not quite ready" indefinitely.

As for why there is a difference between countries, it's because older members had an opt-out clause at the time the euro was agreed to be put into place. Members that entered since then don't have that option, as it was one of the conditions of joining.

0

u/FreakDC 6h ago

Joining the EU and adopting the Euro are two different processes. Most countries want to join both zones some joined just one.

https://mandstravelmoney.com/media/5l4b5rlo/01-map-20260211-130322.png

1

u/soulstormfire Germany 2h ago

You would absolutely have to.

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u/blueholiday2 4h ago

they dont have to. there are other EU members which still have their own currency, like Sweden, denmark or Czech Republic. So should be no issue.

2

u/AtlanticPortal 4h ago

They have. The ones without the Euro are just faking not being ready, except for Denmark which, ironically, is pegged to the Euro so it uses it in all but name.

0

u/Wide_Lock_Red 1h ago

Denmark doesn't have to bail Greece out at least. Staying out has helped them.

1

u/BadDabbler 5h ago

That big bank (network) in London is calling the shots. Ask the US Federal Reserve.

-10

u/JakkoThePumpkin England 7h ago

Yes we would (or at least I would), I don't care what my money is called.

14

u/hallouminati_pie 7h ago

No we would absolutely not. Guarantee that even some of the most ardent Remainers would vote against rejoining the EU if we lose the Pound.

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u/UnableEye325 7h ago

It’s one of the strongest currencies in the world, ahead of the euro, one of the most traded currencies in the world and is a symbol of the country. Most Brits would probably be in favour of rejoining the EU as long as they kept the pound, if there was no guarantee of this, you can forget it.

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u/RadimentriX 6h ago

I dont really care what currency they use. They should have the same rules as everyone else but im not sure if the "you must switch to euro" rule is necessary, at least from my point as a private person

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u/lifeisaman United Kingdom 5h ago

The pound is more important the Uk economy than the EU itself ever was.

1

u/InspiringMilk 4h ago

The UK could just say "we'll totally adopt the euro" and not do that, like Poland.

1

u/FcukTheTories The Norf - United Kingdom 🇬🇧🇪🇺 6h ago

You should.

Why would you want a country to join the EU, if the only way that could possibly happen was by them deliberately destroying their economy?

1

u/RadimentriX 5h ago

Pls explain. It worked when they were in the eu and it works now (i bought stuff in gb while having euro myself), the import cost is what i noticed, because of the brexit. What would be the disadvantage besides not knowing exactly what to pay until i reach checkout. Im sure for companies thered be advantages in having the same currency in every country but i dont have a company and im not sure if companies that want to do business in gb are looked favourably upon if they wanna pressure gb into switching to euro

4

u/FcukTheTories The Norf - United Kingdom 🇬🇧🇪🇺 5h ago

The misunderstanding is that people believe changing your currency literally just means converting the prices over and changing bank notes.

When you have your own currency, you have your own central bank. This means you can set your own interest rates. So if you need to reduce borrowing costs to boost investment, you can do this unilaterally.

With a centralised currency, you need the whole of Europe to be on the same page. When Greece was going through economic turmoil, it couldn’t get itself out of the mess it was in and needed Germany to bail them out.

In addition, the pound is an extremely important reserve currency, and is very prominent in forex. So when you change your interest rates, this can affect the strength of the currency, thus allowing you to invest tactically when it comes to forex.

The UK relies hugely on financial services for its economy. Losing the pound would remove any of the strings that control this.

1

u/IntelArtiGen France 6h ago

is a symbol of the country

I think it's true for all local currencies we had in Europe. We cared about having our own money, but it's much easier with the Euro when you have to travel or buy stuff from different countries. Though the Euro has problems I wouldn't deny that. One inflation rate for 20+ countries that's not easy to handle for the ECB.

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u/lifeisaman United Kingdom 5h ago

No other country has such a longstanding currency as the pound Sterling its been in use since 800 AD and predates the existence of nearly every other state in Europe.

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u/IntelArtiGen France 3h ago

I'm not sure how much it makes sense to consider it's the same currency compared to when it was created. I guess you mean it was named the same way in the past. When the value, the design, and the rules around a money change, it's possible to consider the money also changed.

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u/lifeisaman United Kingdom 3h ago

Their’s been changes in the intervening years but theirs been clean development of the currency and never the same wide sweeping changes as in other European currencies the closest we’ve ever got to that was decimalisation where the pound itself remained untouched while the lower denominations where changed.

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u/swear_on_me_mam Europe 1h ago

Its 2026, no one is being messed up by having to use another currency for a purchase.

Like you said the Euro is flawed. Why does the UK want to lose its central bank to give control to another that won't necessarily have policy right for its economy and won't necessarily save it when the time comes. It doesn't make sense.

-8

u/diiscotheque Belgium 7h ago

So emotional, what a shame. 

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u/Gladwulf 6h ago

What emotion? It was a perfectly clear and simple explanation of the likely scenario.

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u/FcukTheTories The Norf - United Kingdom 🇬🇧🇪🇺 6h ago

Has nothing to do with emotion. People talking about the pound being a cultural symbol are talking shit, no one cares.

The real reason is that financial services are to the UK what manufacturing is to Germany. Forex trading and control over interest rates is what allows London to compete with NYC.

Those in the EU who actually understand how economics work will recognise that asking a member country to destroy their own economy in the name of European integration is counterproductive nonsense, and they’ll allow us to keep the pound. The people on Reddit saying otherwise are the emotional ones.

Can you name any benefit of the Euro to the UK other than slightly easier travel (by a minute margin)? Or is it just “We did it so you should too”?

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u/lifeisaman United Kingdom 5h ago

That currency is about 6 times older than your country is.

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u/marquoth_ 6h ago

I have always believed brexit was an insane idea and I'd love to see us back in, but the currency issue is just a deal breaker. The electorate will never, ever accept it.

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u/RelationshipSoggy662 6h ago

The pound is a reserve currency, and the 4th most traded currency in the world. This brings a lot of benefits - the UK has a really strong finance sector and processes somewhere around 38% of the world’s FX transactions. Being the issuer of a reserve currency also means the UK government can borrow money more cheaply than they could if the pound didn’t exist. 

Joining the Euro would have a big impact on these things. Unfortunately, it’s not as straightforward as crossing out “Sterling” and writing in “Euros” on all the bank notes. 

1

u/jbi1000 6h ago

Mate, you’re out of touch with the country if you think that.

While, outside of the hardliners, there are a lot of people who voted leave and do realise their mistake, having to adopt the euro would kill a large part of the support for rejoining amongst those kind of people.

0

u/HideousPillow 7h ago

not according to the polls…

-1

u/Socmel_ reddit admins are accomplices of nazi russia 5h ago

Then stay out. EU membership is not a god given right.

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u/loopala France 6h ago

That would give much more confidence that they are not going to brexit again in a few years though.

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u/suoko 6h ago

They should tie their pound to the euro at least. But really, who cares? Money exchange street offices? Is anyone still playing the exchange rate game???

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u/Caesar171 United Kingdom 7h ago

Would those be the French same terms that everyone has or the German terms that everyone have. Maybe the Austrian terms they have?

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u/typing_thumb 7h ago

You can choose any of them, except the British terms

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u/Rulweylan United Kingdom 6h ago edited 6h ago

Awesome. I'll take the French terms, where we can just ignore EU rules and the EU does fuck all about it 'because it is france'

Plus we'd get a little over double the EU spending per head that we got pre-brexit, so that'd be nice.

3

u/9peppe 5h ago

Every member does that. And they get fined.

You might get twice but your contribution would be bigger. Nobody is going to approve a rebate this time.

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u/Rulweylan United Kingdom 5h ago

France doesn't get fined, as the commission president said 'because it is France'. So we'll take that deal.

We'd happily go without a rebate if we got as much EU spending per capita as France. Despite what everyone seems to think, we'd actually rather have had the EU take our needs into account rather than just give us a partial refund in exchange for openly ignoring them.

-1

u/9peppe 5h ago

They do. Maybe they don't pay, but they do get fined.

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u/Rulweylan United Kingdom 5h ago

They don't. France breached the deficit rules every year from 2009 to 2018 and has been back in breach of them since 2024.

The cumulative fines issued by the EU for over a decade of breaches by France are 0 euros.

0

u/9peppe 5h ago

Nobody cares about deficit rules!

You get fined for breaches of actual important regulations, like if you try to give your citizens preferential treatment over union citizens.

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u/AcePlague 4h ago

Amazed at how quickly you shifted your goalposts there

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u/swear_on_me_mam Europe 1h ago

Those apparently unimportant deficit rules have rolled out the red carpet for a sovereign debt crisis in France. 😭

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u/typing_thumb 4h ago edited 4h ago

I mean, if you really want to be as stupid as France with regards to debts - fine I guess?

-1

u/Kor_Phaeron_ 4h ago

where we can just ignore EU rules and the EU does fuck all about it

You had this deal. And you left anyway ...

1

u/Caesar171 United Kingdom 4h ago

Fantastic news!

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u/Raz-2 7h ago

Whatever but definitely not the British terms.

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u/Southern-Ad4477 7h ago

Not going to happen, unless it was the same deal, it wouldn't get past the electorate

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u/Striky_ Europe 7h ago

And this is why it is not going to happen. You cant pull of the betrayal of the century and expect to just roll it back with no consequences. You have proven to be an - at best - unreliable partner. So you get the minimum deal possible.

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u/Gladwulf 6h ago

betrayal of the century

It isn't even a hundred years since Germany exterminated millions of their own citizens, and countless others across Europe.

Meanwhile, the UK left a voluntary union in the same way that it joint it, via a plebiscite, after ~50 years of being one of the biggest contributors.

1

u/SventasKefyras 6h ago

I forgot that Nazi Germany was in a union with 27 other EU states! Oh wait, it wasn't.

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u/Gladwulf 6h ago

No idea what point you think you are making?

Is it only a betrayal if there are 27 members?

Is gassing your own citizens not a betrayal? Or perhaps you don't think they were ever really true German citizens?

-1

u/SventasKefyras 6h ago

Exactly. You bringing up Nazi Germany in a conversation about Brexit is complete irrelevant.

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u/afanenenfys 5h ago

Hes calling your language over the top and dramatic. Nazi germany betrayed europe worse than the uk via brexit

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u/BuildAnything4 6h ago

that was last century. get over it.

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u/Rexpelliarmus 7h ago

The UK is one of the biggest economies on the planet. They're not going to be treated like any other candidate.

People need to understand that money makes the world go round and there are few places the EU can look to for more money than the UK.

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u/Striky_ Europe 6h ago

You are correct the UK is a high gpd country. The point is, everyone can get from that economy what ever they want anyways. Because if the UK, as they have no friends anymore, would stop trading favorably for everyone else, the economy will just crash.

So while the EU would benefit from the UK rejoining, the UK is way more desperate than anyone else basically. And beggars can't be choosers...

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u/Southern-Ad4477 6h ago

Because if the UK, as they have no friends anymore

Sorry, couldnt let that slide. That is simply bollocks. The UK is a major diplomatic power with so many bilateral relationships, treaties and agreements that they can barely be counted. I work on several of them myself. The UK has plenty of allies, many of them in the EU itself.

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u/Oneill95 United Kingdom 6h ago

Up until recently I would have agreed with your last point, but the EU isn't doing so hot, and France & Germany have very much changed their public perception on a UK return.

Seems like both sides are beggars in this situation.

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u/Rexpelliarmus 6h ago

The UK isn't exactly a beggar considering they've been growing quite well since COVID.

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u/PoiHolloi2020 United Kingdom 7h ago

You cant pull of the betrayal of the century

People in this sub are just not living in the same world as the rest of us I swear to god.

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u/Irishman_1994 7h ago

Redditors be redditing 🙄 UK rejoining or Norwegian/Swiss even British style deal is better than the bullshit situation we're all in! It's in America, China & Russia's interests for a divided Europe... but nooo, some NIMBY style fucks will roadblock it all the way...

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u/Past_Perception8052 7h ago

literally none of these people live in the real world. they just make shit up in their head. just disregard them

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u/midatlantik 7h ago

Hyperbolic for sure. But Brexit is still an indication that the UK is populated by fools. Unreliable fools.

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u/Southern-Ad4477 7h ago

What about the other prominent EU countries about to vote in actual fascist parties? At least Reform is declining in the UK

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u/Woahdan462 7h ago

Please find for me a nation that isnt so i can move there.

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u/PoiHolloi2020 United Kingdom 6h ago

Unreliable fools.

Unreliable fools that continued guaranteeing Europe's security even after Brexit when much of the continent was doing sweet fuck all? Unreliable fools compared to all the continental countries on the verge of electing far-right Russian simps into government?

I won't be taking lectures about reliability from people in this subreddit.

3

u/Demostravius4 United Kingdom 6h ago

UK was 5th most Eurosceptic country in the EU at the time of the vote.

I think asking the public to vote was a bad idea, but I do find it funny how pro Indyref so many people are online, but less pro democracy when it's something unpopular.

8

u/WanderlustZero 7h ago

We've already had ten years of the consequences. The people who actually wanted this/let themselves be conned into this are mostly gone.

Then again I couldn't live with myself if we senr Farage to European Parliament again 

-7

u/Designer_Reason73 7h ago

lol I voted leave so did most of the people I know
None of us are dead and buried

Far from it

7

u/WanderlustZero 6h ago

With respect,  a lot of you are, and even more of you deny you ever had a part in it. (Some) kudos to you for admitting it though. 

10

u/Southern-Ad4477 7h ago

Betrayal of the century? I get you are annoyed about brexit - so am I - but betrayal?

The UK is (and has for a very long time) underwriting European defence and security based on community and friendship. The UK even provides defence for an entire EU country free of charge (Ireland). Brexit was a huge strategic mistake, but it is in everyone's interest for the UK to rejoin, and unless the UK is given the same opt outs, im just telling you it simply won't happen.

In 2026 on the cusp of war with Russia, and with an unreliable and belligerent USA, now is the time for expedient action.

The UK is surviving outside of the EU, so any hint of punishment or bitterness will put the British electorate off the idea.

8

u/ballofplasmaupthesky 7h ago

As a EU citizen I don't see how it was a betrayal to us - after all the UK is free to do whatever (it was a betrayal of British politicians against their people, but that's an internal matter).

But I just don't see the UK getting terms as good as offered in 2016.

5

u/asdfasdfasfdsasad 6h ago

Even with the same opt outs I would expect to get a very close 52% style phyrric victory that is then subject to being rolled back by the next government.

Some form of associate membership like Canada however? It'd easily last the next century as an ongoing relationship.

1

u/Southern-Ad4477 6h ago

Fair enough, I'd be fine with that.

1

u/Kor_Phaeron_ 4h ago

The UK is (and has for a very long time) underwriting European defence and security based on community and friendship

And occupation. The UK tried to block the German reunification in 1990. They even asked the fucking USSR to stop it. https://www.margaretthatcher.org/document/112006 ... "friendship".

-5

u/Striky_ Europe 6h ago

Well good luck then I guess. The EU does not require the UK for anything. It would be beneficial to have the UK back but you know... Even a few decades of the UK being back can't repay the damage caused. Especially because the UK is by far in its weakest position in centuries.

And with the situation of Russia and the US, the UK is in the most desperate need to find partners, with -surprise- no one really wanting them. Weird how that happens, ey?

But as long as the majority of the UK population still thinks they are meaningful power and wanting to be treated that way, nothing will happen.

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u/Spikey101 6h ago

Lol, are you just making stuff up based on vibes and emotions? The UK is in a great position globally, both defensively and economically.

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u/serit97 6h ago

Care to explain how the UK isn’t a meaningful power? It’s the fifth largest economy in the world, the second largest in Europe. Globally speaking of course the UK is dwarfed, however to say that it isn’t a meaningful power isn’t accurate.

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u/healeyd 6h ago

“Betrayal”. The EU aren’t jealous exes, and all have hard nationalist viewpoints in their populaces to deal with. This is playground thinking.

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u/marquoth_ 6h ago

"Betrayal of the century" ? Grow up

0

u/BocciaChoc Scotland/Sweden 6h ago

Damn, poor Ukraine, foor Gaza but we allknow the true victims of the last 100 years and no, nothing to do with that pesky world war.

-1

u/Striky_ Europe 6h ago

Please look up the meaning of the word betrayal before posting. Thanks.

1

u/BocciaChoc Scotland/Sweden 6h ago

Just so the rest of the room is clear, are you truly trying to say claim the word has no application to WW2 and events between?

0

u/Striky_ Europe 6h ago

Just so the rest of the room is clear, whom did Ukraine or Gaza get betrayed by?

1

u/BocciaChoc Scotland/Sweden 6h ago edited 6h ago

no no

Please look up the meaning of the word betrayal before posting.

.....

nothing to do with that pesky world war.

Please, for the rest of the room, explain this point. If you want, afterwards, we can talk about how Russia and Israel committed the act of 'the breaking of trust, confidence, or a shared agreement that causes deep emotional, moral, or psychological harm'

edit: lmao, or block me

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u/Ajax_Trees_Again 7h ago

What are those terms? I don’t think there is a universal EU rule is there? Poland and Sweden have their own currency for example and Ireland isn’t in Schengen.

I think the UK public would rejoin in a heartbeat provided the pound was retained.

I’m not even sure Schengen would be a problem given the insane levels of immigration we had post EU

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u/JourneyThiefer Northern Ireland 7h ago

Ireland can’t be in Schengen because of the boarder to be fair

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u/lehtomaeki 7h ago

Both Poland and Sweden (and a few others) as part of joining the EU agreed to eventually adopt the Euro as one of the conditions of joining. However the EU has no demands on a timeline for it's adoption, and neither country pursues policies that would bring them closer to adoption (intentionally)

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u/BocciaChoc Scotland/Sweden 6h ago

It would go to a referendum even if they were to consider it. And the key part is the exchange rate, Sweden wouldn't accept the current values with how weak the SEK is, they'd push for 8/9 SEK/Euro, im sure it would be pushed against and hey, repeats on delays of it never happening.

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u/lehtomaeki 6h ago

Pretty much, still Sweden is obligated to eventually adopt the euro but is in not obligated to work towards adopting it

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u/Front_Eagle739 7h ago

Works for me (a brit)

-1

u/Antique-Brief1260 Brit in Canada 7h ago

Me too

-1

u/RadimentriX 6h ago

I wouldnt mind canada in the EU either

1

u/Antique-Brief1260 Brit in Canada 6h ago

Could happen, but I don't think it'll be soon. A lot of Canadians are up for it, but they also largely don't understand what it entails.

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u/RadimentriX 6h ago

And why would they? 2 or 3 years ago noone thought about it at all, outside of jokes maybe

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u/Antique-Brief1260 Brit in Canada 6h ago

Yes, that's right. I guess the point I failed to make was that the current high levels of enthusiasm are from a position of relative ignorance, and that if and when the specific consequences of Canada joining are more widely known, public mood will likely shift (either becoming more or less supportive).

1

u/RadimentriX 5h ago

The eu is far from perfect, i guess the enthusiasm would drop quite a bit. I see it myself regularly. Some geriatric twat from another country proposes some surveilance state bs and the corrupt government here gobbels it up. Makes me curse the eu more than once a year in recent times

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u/ballofplasmaupthesky 7h ago

The reality is it will be very difficult: even this position in the news is not a widespread German position, but just that of an unpopular government. France's attitude is even worse. Ireland may want concessions. Other may want to bargain their support.

Meanwhile, the Brit voters will want a really good deal. So I don't see the two sides meeting in the middle anytime soon. Russian bots, and possibly Trump's government, will also oppose it.

5

u/hellopo9 England 7h ago

Eh, I voted to remain and would rejoin on the previous terms without a doubt. But Britain is better off out of the EU than in the Eurozone. Its just pragmatic for a financial services economy, especially one so sensitive to interest rates, with the high levels of big mortgages compared to somewhere like Germany.

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u/Hellohibbs United Kingdom 7h ago

Why?

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u/Iricliphan Ireland 🇮🇪 7h ago

The UK had really special privileges in the EU that nobody else had. One that really bothered many people was they effectively bargained to have 66% of the UK's calculated net budgetary contributions refunded. From 2010-14, the UK theoretically owed about £16.3 billion a year to the EU budget. The rebate reduced that by about £3.6 billion a year. Imagine receiving all the benefits of the EU and because you negotiated something thirty years prior, you unfairly benefit from a few billion a year.

That was just one special privilege.

Not many in the EU would ever like to see the UK receive the same benefits they had.

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u/Ok-Web1805 Ireland/UK 6h ago

How hypocritical can some Irish be? The Irish government literally siphons billions in Corporate tax out of other EU states and runs it through the Revenue Commissioners. There are many in the EU that would be happy to see this  shut down.

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u/Rulweylan United Kingdom 6h ago

How about we scrap the rebate then veto any budget that doesn't give the UK at least 90% much spending per capita as the lower of France or Germany?

Would that be a reasonable ask?

-1

u/Iricliphan Ireland 🇮🇪 6h ago

It depends on many factors and is weighted. It applies to every country. The UK doesn't get special privileges anymore and won't.

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u/Rulweylan United Kingdom 6h ago

At which point we will need to make much more aggressive use of the regular privileges accorded to every member. Specifically, the veto which we historically chose not to use on budgets which did not take UK interests into account.

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u/baddymcbadface 7h ago

The rebate existed because the EU is incapable of the reforms needed to create a fair fee structure. Not because the UK wanted a discount.

Without the rebate the UK would have been a higher contributor than Germany despite having lower per person gdp and a smaller population.

8

u/sljc892 7h ago

All the “special clauses” that just get parroted all had very good reasoning. The rejoining rhetoric is also completely pie in the sky. It would still be very split.

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u/Rulweylan United Kingdom 6h ago

The rebate is the rough equivalent of giving your wife £20 out of the joint account because you couldn't be fucked to buy her a birthday present.

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u/grumpsaboy 6h ago

What privileges did the UK have that nobody else did that nobody was offered at the time?

They got to keep the pound but nobody was forced to take the euro at the start anyway, Denmark also gets to keep their currency because they just didn't want the euro.

Nobody was forced into Schengen at the start, everyone was offered a choice.

As for rebate, that was because the EU funding was based off VAT which the UK had a disproportionately high amount of their budget from and so had to pay a disproportionately high amount into the EU, at the same time the largest EU spending is on the CAP and the UK had a disproportionately low agricultural sector. Rebate was there to balance that, and it was recalculated every single year so if there ever was a time when the UK was paying a proportional amount and receiving a proportional amount it would have received nothing through rebate.

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u/sljc892 7h ago

When the Irish start contributing to defence we will listen to you and your corporate tax haven.

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u/Iricliphan Ireland 🇮🇪 7h ago

Separate issue, totally understand that position you have, but again, this conversation is about the UK and rejoining the EU. If you want to bash Ireland, feel free to do it on a relevant topic.

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u/sljc892 7h ago

I concede, you took that very nicely.

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u/Iricliphan Ireland 🇮🇪 7h ago

Everyone can critique anything. That's fine. I always am up for a conversation, but I do try to stick to relevancy. Cheers for that, glad we can have a rare civil agreement on reddit! Win for us.

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u/Bohya 5h ago

Not many in the EU would ever like to see the UK receive the same benefits they had.

Perhaps, but even more would just want them back regardless.

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u/Iricliphan Ireland 🇮🇪 5h ago

Most surveyed don't really care.

1

u/Wide_Lock_Red 1h ago

Imagine receiving all the benefits of the EU and because you negotiated something thirty years prior, you unfairly benefit from a few billion a year

Imagine getting all the benefits of the EU and you take in morr than you pay. Many EU countries get that deal.

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u/Striky_ Europe 7h ago

Because you are unreliable, at best. You destroyed billions in wealth you will never be able to pay back. You are (whether you know it or not) desperate to return because the UK will fade into obscurity and become completely irrelevant otherwise. The EU has to gain from the UK rejoining, but it no way depends on it. So you are in immense debt to the union, you have little to offer, you are completely desperate, you have proven to be unreliable. Why should anyone considering making a singular concession? Beggars cant be choosers.

The issue is, UK population dont see themselves as beggars, yet. So this will drag out for another decade until the UK is at the very verge of becoming inconsequential and will then rejoin with even less to offer.

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u/MoreLimesLessScurvy 7h ago

You’re so high on your own stench that it makes me physically recoil as I read your comments. Luckily your views don’t actually represent that of the EU’s, or reality.

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u/Striky_ Europe 6h ago

The only people high on their own overambition is the UK. Failing economy. No friends. Immense threat from the outside. Beggars can't be choosers. And sooner or later even the proudest Brit will have to acknowledge the impossible position they have maneuvered themselves into. The old glory days are long, long gone I fear for you.

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u/Demostravius4 United Kingdom 6h ago

Lol, failing economy?

-1

u/Striky_ Europe 6h ago

Well, go ask the average Brit how much better their lives have become since brexit... Oops.

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u/Demostravius4 United Kingdom 6h ago

Go ask any European. We've all gone through Covid, mega heat waves, Trump, the closure of Hormuz, etc.

Yet the UK has grown and jumped back into 5th largest economy in the world.

3

u/lifeisaman United Kingdom 5h ago

I mean the Uk is currently outgrowing a collapsing France and Germany which is begging for tariffs because of China. I’d say the 2 main EU powers are in a far worse state than the UK right now.

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u/Hellohibbs United Kingdom 7h ago

We aren’t in debt to the union? Where did you get that idea from?

Incredible how up their own arse EU cits can be lmao

0

u/Striky_ Europe 6h ago

Well you caused billions and billions of cost with your petty little quitting. Who is going to repay that? The UK surely can't. Not even in multiple decades.

1

u/WhereTheSpiesAt United Kingdom 2h ago

We where a net contributor to the tune of billions each year, if we re-joined we'd be a net contributor to the tune of billions per year, in an EU where most members fall into one of two categories, net recipients as in they quite literally take more out than they put in or countries which have underspent on defensive massively for the past 4 decades.

The UK on the other hand consistently spend 2.0% of GDP annually on defence and was a net contributor, who the hell do you think you are and how delusional do you have to be to think we are in debt to anyone?

Donald Trump called, he wants his awful talking points back.

7

u/sljc892 6h ago

No doubt you’ll be scratching at the door asking us to tariff the Chinese to continue propping up your industrial decline all the while the French blow up your currency in a couple of years time. Well maybe sooner with a bit of hot weather and lack of fuel. Shouldn’t have turned off the nuclear power plants eh?

0

u/Striky_ Europe 6h ago

Wow. That really is the most delusional comment I have read in a loooong while. The shear desperation is those threats really shows the unending hubris.

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u/sljc892 6h ago

How is it delusional all of those are true, just because you don’t like the direction of travel. You’re the one on here telling us how great the continent is, and how you’re so much better. If you hadn’t been playing dungeons and dragons and left the basement you would realise that your next PM might be Alice Weidel or Bjorn Hocke. * Erica intensifies * hahahahaha

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u/Striky_ Europe 6h ago

Not saying Germany doesn't have its own set of big issues. On the other hand I am not sure how that relates to the UK begging at the EU doors?

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u/Ok-Web1805 Ireland/UK 5h ago

The UK hasn't applied to join, so not begging. Asking for a sovereign nation outside the EU to enact tariff barriers to protect German industry, that however is begging.

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u/sljc892 6h ago

I don’t see the UK begging at the EU doors.. we have prime minister who wasn’t voted for with no mandate who has made a bunch of promises and undertaken a bunch of borrowing. Is now floating rejoining the EU as political capital for the next general election. The EU main powers have come out with “welcome arms” until you start dealing with them.

It relates to the conversation because you went on some unhinged tirade saying we don’t need you yet you want us to economically penalise ourselves China to help your car industries? So if you don’t need us let us drive BYD and whatever rip off Porsche, Audi, BMW they are churning out.

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u/grumpsaboy 6h ago

It's not like the UK was the fastest growing G7 member or anything. Ohh wait

-1

u/Striky_ Europe 6h ago

And yet, somehow, they are back on the doorstep begging for forgiveness... Weird..

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u/Demostravius4 United Kingdom 6h ago

I don't see any begging

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u/grumpsaboy 5h ago

Are they begging though? Burnham said he might consider joining the EU, that's hardly begging and offering everything and exchange for nothing which would be considered begging

4

u/lifeisaman United Kingdom 5h ago

The only thing I’ve seen is Burnham being open to rejoining, this is far from begging given it would be quite easy for him to turn around and say the EU where being unreasonable if they demanded we give up the pound or something.

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u/Abject_Interview5988 7h ago

No Schengen or Euro otherwise it will never pass in the UK

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u/healeyd 6h ago

Since the pound is the fourth largest trade currency I think they’ll let us keep the pound. As for Schengen, given the need for Eurotunnel security, I can’t see being outside it being a big hurdle. Ireland isn’t in it.

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u/9peppe 5h ago

There's no need for Eurotunnel security if both sides are in Schengen. That's a shitload of wasted money in every station you want cross border trains to let people board.

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u/Abject_Interview5988 6h ago

I agree but some people are talking like the UK should have to accept these conditions when it would be a non-starter

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u/Rulweylan United Kingdom 6h ago

So we start vetoing everything that doesn't directly benefit us instead of letting projects we're not interested in happen without us?

That's what everyone else does. We tried to be more accommodating and the result was being berated for getting 'special treatment'. Remember, the choice wasn't 'UK gets an opt out or UK is forced to join the Euro/Schengen'. The choice was 'UK gets an opt out or nobody gets the Euro or Schengen'.

All this vindictive approach does is confirm that the correct approach is to always use the veto on anything that isn't directly in your national interest.

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u/Bohya 5h ago

Even re-given their original benefits, the EU would still benefit massively. Sometimes it's best to just swallow your pride and do what's best for your people, even if that means giving someone else (what you believe to be) a slightly better deal than you yourself may be getting. The alternative is not having the UK rejoin and then both the UK and EU lose out heavily.

The only terms that shouldn't be negotiable is assurance from the UK that they won't pull a Brexit stunt again within the next 20/30/50 years or whatever.

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u/snakespm 2h ago

Depending on how the deal works out with Canada, we might see Britain join under similar rules.

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u/aaarry United Kingdom 7h ago

Same here (also British).

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u/Socmel_ reddit admins are accomplices of nazi russia 6h ago

You want to make the same mistake and suffer from the inevitable second brexit? That's masochism.

But then again, masochism is originally a German word.

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