【By Observer Net, Zhang Jingjuan】On the tenth anniversary of the UK's Brexit referendum, The Guardian reported on the 13th, citing a survey by market research company YouGov, that a majority of respondents in four major EU member states support the UK rejoining, but oppose its retention of previous rights.

The YouGov survey of six Western European countries, including the UK, also confirmed that the vast majority of British voters now support the UK rejoining the EU, but only if the UK can retain its previous rights.

The polling firm said the results reflect a "public opinion stalemate". Although the UK and EU have released positive signals for closer relations, the possibility of the UK rejoining the EU at this stage is extremely slim.

The survey showed that in the four major EU member states (France, Germany, Italy, and Spain), at least half of the respondents supported the UK rejoining: Italy (51%), France (53%), Spain (60%), and Germany (63%).

However, when asked whether the UK should be allowed to rejoin the EU under the conditions it had when it left, including not joining the eurozone or the Schengen area, the support rate changed significantly.

In these four EU giants, only about one-fifth of respondents believed the UK should be allowed to rejoin under these conditions, with 19% in Italy and France, 21% in Spain, and 22% in Germany. Between 58% and 62% of respondents believed the UK must accept all core EU policies.

To test the attitudes of Western Europeans, the polling firm also asked: If the UK was only willing to rejoin the EU under the condition of retaining its previous rights, should it be allowed? Between 33% and 36% of respondents found it acceptable, but more people (between 41% and 52%) opposed it.

In the UK, when asked separately whether they supported rejoining the EU, 54% of Britons supported it, but if rejoining meant giving up previous rights, the support rate dropped to just 36%. Under this condition, 45% of Britons opposed rejoining.

The survey found that pro-Europeans and supporters of other pro-EU parties would generally support rejoining, even if they had to adopt the euro and join the Schengen area.

Almost 60% of pro-Europeans expressed support for rejoining the EU without retaining previous rights, a drop of about 25 percentage points compared to without additional conditions, with Labour Party supporters at 58% (a drop of 23 percentage points), and Liberal Democrats at 49% (a drop of 31 percentage points).

Meanwhile, the proportion of Eurosceptic voters who were willing to rejoin without enjoying previous special treatment almost halved: from 21% to 10% among Brexit supporters; from 25% to 12% among Conservative voters; and from 15% to 9% among UKIP supporters.

Denmark, the fifth European mainland country surveyed, was an exception. Its respondents strongly wished (72%) for the UK to rejoin, and were more supportive of the UK retaining its previous rights (43%) compared to other larger member states. However, Denmark is one of only three EU member states that have exemptions in major EU policy areas.

The survey also found that the majority of the population in five European mainland countries (63% to 75%) supported Scotland joining the EU after independence.

The survey was conducted from June 12 to 27, with samples covering over 2,000 adults each in the UK and Germany, and over 1,000 adults each in Denmark, France, Italy, and Spain.

Local time May 19, 2025, London, UK, during the bilateral summit between the UK and the EU, protesters against Brexit gathered. IC photo

On June 24, 2016, the results of the UK's Brexit referendum were announced, with the "Leave" campaign winning by 51.9% to 48.1%, with over 17.4 million British citizens choosing to leave.

This referendum divided the UK into two opposing sides. The "Remain" camp emphasized economic, security, and prosperity, claiming that Brexit would cause devastating damage to the UK economy. The "Leave" camp, on the other hand, sought to reclaim power, strictly control borders, and heavily used the "immigration card."

After prolonged Brexit negotiations, the UK officially left the EU on January 31, 2020, and ended the Brexit transition period at the end of the year.

Since then, UK-EU relations have experienced a cold period. However, as international circumstances changed, both sides realized the importance of strengthening cooperation.

This May, the UK and the EU held their first post-Brexit UK-EU summit in London, reaching a series of agreements that laid the foundation for "resetting" bilateral relations. British Prime Minister Starmer, European Commission President von der Leyen, and European Council President Costa all stated that this summit was a "historic moment," marking a new phase in their relationship.

Last week, French President Macron made a three-day state visit to the UK. He was the first leader of a European alliance member country to be invited to visit the UK since Brexit.

During the visit, Macron stated that the number of illegal immigrants crossing the English Channel has reached a new high, indicating that Brexit did not achieve the purpose of strengthening border control. Based on this, both sides reached a "one in, one out" agreement to cooperate in combating illegal immigration and smuggling.

Immigration was one of the main factors influencing the outcome of the UK's Brexit referendum. However, in recent years, the UK's immigration situation has not improved but has continued to deteriorate.

Data released by the UK government in early July showed that nearly 20,000 people have crossed the English Channel by small boats to the UK so far in 2025, setting a new record for the number of migrants in January to June.

This article is an exclusive piece by Observer Net. Unauthorized reproduction is prohibited.

Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7526783673769722418/

Statement: This article represents the views of the author. Please express your attitude by clicking the 【Up/Down】 button below.