SPAIN would welcome Britain back into the EU ‘with open arms,’ prime minister Pedro Sanchez has said.
The progressive PSOE leader made the comments while appearing alongside French president Emmanuel Macron at a joint press conference in Madrid on Wednesday.
Sanchez added Brexit had been a ‘huge loss’ for Britain and Europe, with Macron agreeing that the UK returning to the bloc would be ‘excellent news’ and ‘a good decision’.
The comments came after British prime minister Andy Burnham said the UK should consider options for its future relationship with the EU, including rejoining the bloc.
The joint press conference marked the end of Macron’s two-day state visit to Spain – his first to the country since becoming president in 2017.
Macron was formally welcomed by King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia at the Royal Palace in Madrid on Tuesday, where he received full military honours before attending a gala dinner.
He also took part in a student event alongside Spanish writer and essayist Javier Cercas, where he discussed Europe and the future of the EU.
The French president then met Sanchez at the Moncloa government building on Wednesday for talks on the relationship between the two countries and wider European issues.
Macron’s visit came just a day after Spain’s Senate rejected the Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation between the two countries.
The agreement had been signed by Sanchez and Macron in Barcelona in January 2023, and was intended to deepen cooperation between Spain and France in areas including defence, security and infrastructure.
However, it was rejected by 142 votes to 106 in Spain’s higher chamber, with opposition parties Partido Popular (PP) and Vox voting against it.
The main sticking point was a clause allowing Spanish and French ministers to attend each other’s Council of Ministers meetings, which members of the PP have criticised.
The treaty will now go to a joint commission of Congress and the Senate to resolve the disagreement.
If no agreement is reached, Congress can ultimately override the Senate’s rejection with an absolute majority.
Sanchez apologised to Macron over the vote and insisted the agreement would eventually go ahead, while Macron played down the situation as ‘more a setback than a drama.’
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