Diplomacy. Macron's State Visit to London: A Necessary Rapprochement Between the United Kingdom and the EU

The United Kingdom will welcome the French president with great fanfare on Tuesday for a three-day state visit, the first by a European leader since Brexit.

In addition to the French leader, Labour Prime Minister Keir Starmer , who has been in office for a year, has been appealing to the entire European Union by promising a reset of relations with member states. But why is the United Kingdom working to get closer to France and to the Old Continent that it had tried so hard to leave?

Paris and London have softened their stance on the issues that have divided them in recent years. "The tensions surrounding fishing were more symbolic than anything else. Boris Johnson needed to be uncompromising with French fishermen to showcase the return of British sovereignty post-Brexit," explains Federico Santopinto, a researcher at the Institute of International and Strategic Relations (IRIS).

"On immigration in the Channel , the current British government is much more realistic and is aware that immigration will always exist, whether it is in the EU or not," analyses the researcher specialising in European relations, for whom "the Labour Party is much more inclined to have good relations with Europeans, unlike the Conservatives, who were brought to power in particular by the dynamics of Brexit."

A reconciliation between the United Kingdom and its European neighbors is essential as the American ally withdraws from the European theater. In this context, the United Kingdom absolutely needs to move closer to the Twenty-Seven, and first and foremost to France, a nuclear military power, which is aligned with London in its policy of supporting Ukraine and containing Russia.

"The UK is stronger when we work closely with our closest international partners. This has never been more important at a time when war, conflict, and insecurity are all knocking on Europe's door," he said lucidly at the end of 2024.

The EU also stands to gain: Europeans have every interest in counting the British on their side to face threats, particularly those coming from the East.

While strategic rapprochement between the United Kingdom and EU members is underway, an economic agreement will have to wait. "This is the crux of the matter: Brussels does not want to allow London free access to its market, otherwise Brexits will multiply within member states," warns Federico Santopinto.