A man holds an American flag depicting President-elect Donald Trump in Parliament Square in London.
Jeff J. Mitchell | Getty Images News | Getty Images
The leaders of the United Kingdom and the European Union are also seeking this Reset relationships Before the president-elect Donald TrumpAs Trump returns to the White House, public sentiment also appears to be shifting in favor of closer ties across the continent, according to a new survey.
Research conducted by the European Council on Foreign Relations on Thursday showed that a majority of Britons (55%) believe that the United Kingdom should realign its ranks with the European Union under Trump’s second term, and prioritize stronger relations with Brussels at the expense of the United States (17%). . There has also been a reluctance for Britain to follow Trump's lead on key foreign policy issues such as China and Ukraine.
On the continent, the feeling is mutual, with a large number of participants across the EU – and Germany and Poland in particular – supporting closer ties with the UK.
The study, conducted in the wake of the US election, seeks to provide the latest picture of public opinion on Brexit, more than eight years after the historic vote.
This release comes days after British Finance Minister Rachel Reeves spoke on Monday about renewing relations with Brussels during a trip to meet with her counterparts in the European Union – The first such meeting Since Britain officially left the bloc in 2020.
“We no longer live in a Brexit world. This world ended on November 5, 2024,” Mark Leonard, the council's co-founder and foreign policy expert, said during an event in London to announce the results.
He added, “There is a striking and widespread desire on both sides of the Channel for rapprochement.”
The survey – which surveyed more than 9,000 people across the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Poland and Spain – showed a particular desire on both sides to cooperate more closely on trade and security.
If the UK is somehow forced to choose between the US and the EU… it may be a binary choice
Hailey Thorning Schmidt
Former Prime Minister of Denmark
In the UK, the majority of respondents said they saw improved relations helping their key priorities around immigration, security and the economy. Meanwhile, participants in Europe said they were open to giving the UK “special access” to the EU single market and access to the bloc’s research programs in exchange for more security cooperation.
Both sides also expressed their willingness to consider free movement of people in exchange for stronger economic relations.
Trump's tariffs create 'binary' options.
Trump's election on November 5 has added to the A Feeling uncomfortable in EuropeParticularly on national security and the impact of potential tariffs, as the president-elect previously warned that the EU may be subject to new trade tariffs to address the significant trade imbalance.
On the other hand, the United Kingdom, which has a trade imbalance with the United States, may hope that this will happen “special relationship” Across the Atlantic – and Trump Convergence of Britain's exit from the European Union – Enough to spare her the most severe punitive measures.
Helle Thorning-Schmidt, former Danish prime minister and board secretary of the European Council on Foreign Relations, told CNBC that it was expected – and in the UK's interest – to pursue “as close a relationship with the United States as possible.” But she said that this should not prevent the establishment of close relations with the European Union either.
“If we are looking for a reset, now is the time,” she said, noting that the current backdrop could actually improve the UK’s position when it seeks to improve relations with the EU. “This is a time when there might be leverage (for the UK) to ask for a little more.”
However, Thorning-Schmidt, who served as prime minister between 2011 and 2015, admitted there could be some “binary” options in the future as both sides seek to position themselves under a Trump presidency.
“If there are tariffs coming our way, do we respond? Is that the answer?” Thorning-Schmidt said.
“If we are asked to align more with the United States regarding its China policy, that could be a bilateral option as well,” she continued.
“And if the UK were somehow forced to choose between the US and the EU – which I don’t think they would – then perhaps it would be a binary choice.”
