European Green Parties Call for UK to Consider Rejoining EU

The European Green party has called for the United Kingdom to consider rejoining the EU. A statement declaring that “the United Kingdom’s future lies in the European Union” was adopted by a large majority at the movement’s annual leadership meeting in Brussels on Friday.

The text describes Brexit as a political and economic failure with lasting negative consequences for people in the United Kingdom and across Europe. It adds that the European Green family stands ready to welcome the UK back alongside other countries when it chooses this path.

A co-chair of the European Green party said the intervention was meant to trigger debate. The co-chair stated that the main discussion belongs first and foremost to the democratic debate in the United Kingdom. The statement forms part of a broader declaration by European Green party leaders calling for energy independence and action to counter the far right.

Delegates from 30 European green parties gathered in Brussels to approve the text, including those from non-EU member states. British green parties were entitled to take a position on the paper remotely but were not present in person because of local and parliamentary elections.

A spokesperson for the Green party of England and Wales said Brexit has been a disaster and the party has always said the UK should rejoin the EU when the political circumstances are right.

The intervention follows local elections in which the Labour party suffered heavy losses while Reform party support increased. The declaration means green parties across Europe, such as those in Germany and France, should reflect this position in national debates and policy positions.

The co-chair said it was the first time a European political party had officially invited the UK to rejoin the EU. The co-chair added that other political families might join the call but that the moment to begin the discussion is now.

The influence of green parties across Europe has declined in recent years, including losses in the 2024 European parliament elections and ejection from Germany’s governing coalition. The co-chair pointed to recent election results in Denmark, votes in the UK, and mayoral wins in Riga and Copenhagen in 2025 as signs that support is picking up again.

The co-chair brushed aside suggestions that the UK had been a difficult member state, saying times had changed. The co-chair stated that history shows Brexit was a mistake and both sides lost a lot, expressing confidence that mistakes could be learned from to build a stronger European Union together.

The co-chair stressed that the political situation had evolved since the 2016 Brexit referendum, describing the current period as a historical moment ten years after Brexit took place when Europe needs to be reinforced.