Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

Brexit Britain wants to come back

Brexit Britain wants to come back

Six years after the Brexit vote, Euroskeptic PM Liz Truss wants to lead the UK back into Europe’s political arena.
Times must be hard in London: Brexit Britain wants to rejoin Europe’s political community.

According to three officials present at a meeting on Thursday, the United Kingdom told its European partners that Prime Minister Liz Truss is not only willing to attend the first gathering of the European Political Community in Prague next week, but that she is also willing to host the next summit in London.

The European Political Community is a nascent configuration of European countries whose leaders aim to meet regularly. The club, which will meet for the first time on October 6, includes the leaders of the EU, candidate countries such as Ukraine, the Western Balkans and Turkey, as well as neighbors that do not want to join the Union, such as Norway, Switzerland and the U.K.

It was first proposed by French President Emmanuel Macron, who touted the new club as a way for European leaders to discuss questions that affect their continent.

The U.K. made the announcement that it is willing to host the next meeting, which has not been reported before, at a closed-doors meeting of sherpas on Thursday, the two officials told POLITICO.

According to the officials, the U.K.’s sherpa proposed to change the name of the club to “European Political Forum.” Moldova — another non-EU country — has also offered to host the next summit, according to one of the officials.

A U.K. government source confirmed the country is potentially interested in hosting further meetings but noted others are also keen.

The first meeting next week will focus on Russia’s war in Ukraine and energy security. Truss is keen to take part in discussions on migration and energy security, according to U.K. officials, but remains skeptical of the need for another multilateral forum.

For Truss, the move to rejoin a European political project is a high-risk option at a sensitive time. Her euroskeptic Conservative Party chose her as its new leader less than a month ago, and she is already battling to save her skin after a disastrous first few weeks.

With the U.K. facing a full-on financial crisis thanks to Truss’s announcement of sweeping tax cuts, she cannot afford to anger her colleagues. It remains to be seen how far Conservative members, voters and colleagues in parliament support her plan to get close to Europe once again. Former Cabinet minister David Lidington – who backed Remain in Britain’s referendum — said Thursday night that such a move would be a “very welcome development.”

For the past six years since the U.K. voted to leave the EU in 2016, successive governments — in which Truss has served — have sought to distance themselves from Brussels. As foreign secretary before she became prime minister, Truss took a hard line with Brussels over Brexit disputes, including the ongoing disagreement over trade rules for Northern Ireland.

Truss and Macron discussed his idea for a political community that included the U.K. when they met earlier this month in New York. Yet there were reasons why the U.K. side seemed reluctant to sign up, not least the desire to avoid looking like Truss was re-joining something that looked like the EU. That is likely to be why the U.K. representatives proposed changing the name from a “community” to a “forum” during the talks on Thursday.

On Monday, the U.K. opposition Labour party weighed in to the debate, urging Truss to go to the meeting next week. “These are our allies, our partners, there’s war in Europe. I certainly would go,” said Labour’s foreign affairs spokesman David Lammy.
AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
U.S. and Hungarian Officials Talk About Economic Collaboration and Sanctions Strategy
Technology Giants Activate Lobbying Campaigns Against Strict EU Regulations
Pope Francis Admitted to Hospital in Rome Amid Increasing Speculation on Succession
Zelensky Calls on World Leaders to Back Peace as Tensions Rise with Trump
UK Leader Keir Starmer Calls for US Security Guarantee in Ukraine Peace Deal
NATO Chief Urges Higher Defense Expenditure in Europe
The negotiation teams of Trump and Putin meet directly, establishing the groundwork for a significant advancement.
Rubio Touches Down in Riyadh Before Key U.S.-Russia Discussions
Students in Serbian universities Unite to Hold Coordinated Protests for Accountability.
US State Department Removes Taiwan Independence Statement from Website
Abolishing opposition won't protect Germany from Nazism—this is precisely what led Germany to become Nazi!
Transatlantic Gold Rush: Traders Shift Bullion in Response to Tariff Anxieties and Market Instability
Bill Ackman Backs Uber as the Company Shifts Towards Profitability
AI Titans Challenge Nvidia's Supremacy in Light of New Chip Innovations
US and Russian Officials to Meet in Saudi Arabia Over Ending Ukraine Conflict. Ukraine and European leaders – who profit from this war – excluded from the negotiations.
Macron Calls for Urgent Summit as Ukraine Conflict Business Model is Threatened
Trump’s Defense Secretary: Ukraine Won’t Join NATO or Regain Lost Territories
Zelensky Urges Europe to Bolster Its Military in Light of Uncertain US Backing
Chinese Zoo Confesses to Dyeing Donkeys to Look Like Zebras
Elon Musk is Sherlock Holmes - Movie Trailer Parody featuring Donald Trump's Detective
Trump's Greenland Suggestion Sparks Sovereignty Discussions Amid Historical Grievances
OpenAI Board Dismisses Elon Musk's Offer to Acquire the Company.
USAID Uncovered: American Taxpayer Funds Leveraged to Erode Democracy in Europe Until Trump Put a Stop to It.
JD Vance and Scholz Did Not Come Together at the Munich Security Conference.
EU Official Participates in Discussions in Washington Amid Trade Strains
Qatar Contemplates Reducing French Investments Due to PSG Chief Investigation
Germany's Green Agenda Encounters Ambiguity Before Elections
Trump Did Not Notify Germany's Scholz About His Ukraine Peace Proposal.
Munich Car Attack Escalates Migration Discourse Before German Elections
NATO Allies Split on Trump's Proposal for 5% Defense Spending Increase
European Parliament Advocates for Encrypted Messaging to Ensure Secure Communications
Trump's Defense Spending Goal Creates Division Among NATO Partners
French Prime Minister Bayrou Navigates a Challenging Path Amid Budget Preservation and Immigration Discourse
Steering Through the Updated Hierarchy at the European Commission
Parliamentarian Calls for Preservation of AI Liability Directive
Mark Rutte Calls on NATO Allies to Increase Defence Expenditures
Dresden Marks the 80th Anniversary of the World War II Bombing.
Global Community Pledges to Aid Syria's Political Transition
EU Allocates €200 Billion for AI Investments, Introduces €20 Billion Fund for Gigafactories
EU Recognizes Its Inability to Close the USAID Funding Shortfall Due to Stalled US Aid
Commission President von der Leyen Missing from Notre Dame Reopening Due to Last-Minute Cancellation
EU Officializes Disinformation Code for Online Platforms, Omitting X
EU Fails to Fully Implement Key Cybersecurity Directives
EU Under Fire for Simplification Discussions Regarding Corporate Sustainability Reporting
Shein Encountering Further Information Request from the EU During Ongoing Investigation
European Commission Initiates Investigation into Shein as It Aims at Chinese E-Commerce Regulations
German Officials Respond to U.S. Proposal for Peace Talks with Russia
Senate Approves Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as Secretary of Health and Human Services.
Trump and Putin Engage in Discussions on Ukraine Peace Negotiations Amid Worldwide Responses
Honda and Nissan End Merger Talks
×