British Prime Minister Andy Burnham may have shifted the dial by floating a return for his country to the European Union, but a wary Brussels is waiting for the UK’s next move.
“It’s positive. It improves the tone,” one EU official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told AFP.
“But we’re not going to change our approach because there’s nice music in the background.”
Burnham — who took power in July — this week broke a taboo for a British premier by opening the door to the UK’s possible return to the fold.
Smashing through red lines set by his cautious predecessor Keir Starmer, the former mayor of Manchester said potential options might include staying as is, joining the EU’s customs union or single market, or eventually going “all the way”.
The positive vibes from the new UK leader drew a warm response from several of his European counterparts.
“Welcome back,” quipped French President Emmanuel Macron in English.
“If the British want to come back and if the prime minister is moving in that direction, I think that is very good news both for his country and for Europeans,” he said.
But the official response in Brussels was far more cautious.
“It is for the UK government to set out how it wishes to develop its relationship with the EU going forward,” said European Commission spokesman Balazs Ujvari.
“We remain open to engaging on the options it may put forward.”
After dealing with six different prime ministers in a decade, diplomats in Brussels have grown wary of putting too much stock in their grand words.
“Yes,” replied one succinctly, when asked if there was frustration at yet another fresh start from the UK.
‘Summit’s gotta give’
The first test for Burnham will be locking in a summit with EU leaders Ursula von der Leyen and Antonio Costa that can deliver an initial set of concrete results.
Officials on both sides say they’re hoping to hold it next month — but the exact date isn’t fixed yet.
The meeting was originally set for June to cement Starmer’s much-vaunted “reset” with Brussels, but was scrapped when he was dumped from office.
On the table for Burnham are the same issues — a deal for young people to work and study on both sides, cutting checks on plant and animal products, and linking up carbon trading schemes.
There are also the same headaches.
EU countries want the UK to allow European students to study there more cheaply, while London is worried about a “Made in Europe” plan from Brussels to prioritise its own industries.
The EU official warned that Brussels still wasn’t willing to make any concessions to London without “significant advances”, most notably on the youth scheme.
With the new mood music after Burnham’s arrival, a successful summit could lay the grounds for more ambitious efforts.
“It can serve to restore trust and start afresh on a better footing,” said Sebastien Maillard, an expert at the British think tank Chatham House.
Nevertheless he said that the idea of Britain rejoining the bloc still seemed completely “unrealistic”.
“It’s too big, too soon,” he told AFP.
In Brussels there are major doubts over whether Britain could ever accept new terms from the bloc for rejoining. During its decades-long membership, London negotiated “carve outs” from some rules and refused to join the Euro single currency or Schengen travel zone.
Burnham himself has never hid his desire for Britain to return — having previously said he hopes to see it back in the EU “in my lifetime”.
“But it’s not necessarily the case that that is now,” he told the BBC this week.
