French presidential hopeful & Macron’s heir says Britain should join ‘United States of Europe’ in snub to Brexit

EMMANUEL Macron’s heir says Britain should join the “United States of Europe” in a massive snub to Brexit. Gabriel Attal, a frontrunner to succeed French President Mr Macron in 2027, wants a group of perhaps eight or 10 countries to bind together in an audacious plan. The United Kingdom officially left the European Union on January 31, 2020 Credit: Getty Key candidate in France’s 2027 presidential election Gabriel Attal has since put forward an audacious plan Credit: AFP The 37-year-old’s proposal would see member states bind themselves together with common debt, common taxes and labour rules. However, in a break with the current Brussels model, the union would operate under a directly elected president, according to Mr Attal. Sign up for The Sun newsletter Thank you! He is also pitching France’s atomic arsenal as the “new European nuclear umbrella”, warning that reliance on American military defence is no longer safe. Attal said the current 27-member EU model had “reached its limits” amid pressure from “continent powers” such as the US and China. France’s President Emmanuel Macron Credit: AFP It is not yet known what PM Andy Burnham would make of the potential move Credit: AFP Attal, who previously called for the UK to rejoin the EU, is dangling a path back into an alliance far more integrated than the union Brits voted to leave. The United Kingdom officially left the European Union on January 31, 2020 after the country historically voted for Brexit. But Attal has now said: “I hope that one day the United Kingdom will find its place again in this adventure if it freely chooses to join it.” The 37-year-old – who made history in 2024 as France’s youngest prime minister – is locked in a brutal dogfight with former premier Édouard Philippe for the centrist crown in next year’s French presidential election. Most read in The Sun But his radical European plan faces fierce resistance from EU capitals determined not to hand more powers to Brussels – even if Mr Attal wins the French presidency. Shared debt remains a massive red line in Germany and the Netherlands, while few capitals will willingly surrender tax powers they have closely guarded for decades. But Attal insists a core group of member states should forge ahead regardless. However, smaller nations fear being relegated to second-class status in a two-speed Europe. His view of a European future is even more radical than that of Mr Macron and European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen. Mr Macron has never demanded a federal state, focusing instead on European “strategic autonomy” to break dependence on Washington. The current French PM mounted a similar push for closer European integration after unveiling the Spitzenkandidat system in 2019. But he ended up backing von der Leyen’s commitment to give member states control over who should head the European Commission. That stance clashes directly with Attal’s demand for a directly elected president. While Mrs von der Leyen once championed a federal “United States of Europe”, she backed away from the phrase after taking office. But Attal has torn into her record, dismissing her state of the union speech as “too little, too late” and declaring Europe must go “faster and further”. Meanwhile, France could soon turn in a different direction if Marine Le Pen secures the keys to power in 2027. Opinion polls suggest Ms Le Pen, who was almost banned from standing in 2027, is well-ahead of her rivals. Recent surveys found that the four-time National Rally contender is at least 10 points clear of Mr Attal in head-to-head polling. What does Andy Burnham think about Brexit? Then Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham said last September that he would like to see the UK back in the EU within his lifetime. However, he has promised not to “re-run” Brexit arguments. Burnham previously said he was not proposing the UK continues to rejoin the EU. But he said Brexit had been “damaging” but “Britain will be stuck in a permanent rut if we’re just constantly arguing”.