A man holds up the American flag of US President-elect Donald Trump at the Houses of Parliament in London.
Jeff J Mitchell | Getty Images News | getty images
As British and European Union leaders seek to reset relations ahead of President-elect Donald Trump’s return to the White House, public sentiment is shifting in favor of closer ties across Europe, a new survey shows.
A majority of Britons (55%) think the UK should realign with the EU under a second Trump term and prioritize strengthening ties with Brussels over the US (17%), according to a survey by the European Council on Foreign Relations. said Thursday. Britain has also been reluctant to follow Trump’s lead on key foreign policy issues, including China and Ukraine.
On the continent, feelings are mutual, with majorities of respondents across EU countries, particularly Germany and Poland, supporting closer ties with the UK.
The study, conducted after the US presidential election, seeks to provide an updated picture of public opinion on Brexit eight years after the landmark vote.
The announcement comes just days after British Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves discussed restarting ties with Brussels during a meeting with EU member states on Monday. This is the first meeting since Britain officially left the bloc in 2020.
“We are no longer living in a world of Brexit,” ECFR co-founder and foreign policy expert Mark Leonard said at an event in London to present the research. “It’s over,” he said.
“There is a clear and widespread desire on both sides of the Channel to get closer to each other,” he added.
The survey, which polled more than 9,000 people across the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Poland and Spain, showed a particular willingness between the two sides to work more closely together on trade and security.
If the UK somehow had to choose between the US and the EU… It’s probably a binary choice.
Helle Torning-Schmidt
former prime minister of Denmark
In the UK, the majority of respondents said relations had improved, with support for key priorities on immigration, security and the economy. Meanwhile, respondents in Europe said they were willing to grant Britain “special access” to the EU single market and access to the bloc’s research programs in exchange for greater security cooperation.
Both sides also expressed their willingness to consider free movement of people in exchange for stronger economic ties.
Trump Tariffs Create ‘Binary’ Choice
Trump’s November 5 election has heightened anxiety in Europe, particularly over national security and the impact of potential tariffs, with the president-elect previously warning that the EU could impose new trade levies to address serious trade imbalances.
Meanwhile, Britain, which has a much smaller trade imbalance with the United States, may be hoping that its “special relationship” across the Atlantic and Trump’s preference for Brexit will spare it the most punitive measures.
Helle Thorning-Schmidt, former Danish prime minister and ECFR board member, told CNBC it was in Britain’s interests to pursue “as close a relationship as possible with the United States.” But she said this should not stand in the way of close ties with the EU.
“If we are looking for a reset, now is a good time,” she said, noting that the current situation could actually improve the UK’s position as it seeks improved relations with the EU. “This is a time when the UK has the leverage to demand more.”
But Thorning-Schmidt, who was prime minister from 2011 to 2015, acknowledged there could be some “binary” choices ahead as both sides take on the Trump presidency.
“Will we retaliate when the tariffs come? Is that the answer?” Thorning-Schmidt said.
“If we are asked to cooperate more with the United States in terms of China policy, that could also be a binary choice,” she added.
“If the UK had to choose between the US and the EU (which I think it won’t) it would probably be a binary choice.”
