Germany's ambassador to the UK has pledged that Berlin would act as a "partner" to the United Kingdom should the country decide to rejoin the European Union.
The commitment follows signals from Prime Minister Andy Burnham that a second referendum on EU membership could be included in the next Labour manifesto, provided public opinion supports the move.
Susanne Baumann, the German ambassador to the UK, told The Telegraph on 1 October that Berlin would support as ambitious a new relationship as possible. She further stated that Germany would be a "partner" for Britain's ambitions in Europe.
The German position aligns with recent statements from other major EU powers. During a joint press conference in Madrid on 30 September, French President Emmanuel Macron described a UK return as "excellent news" and "a good decision", telling the Prime Minister "Welcome back" in English.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez also expressed his support during the Madrid conference, stating that the UK would be welcomed back "with open arms".
Speaking to ITV News, Mr Burnham said that the government is not "leaping to a referendum", but that such a vote remains "possible" if public opinion "points towards" it. He added that he could not "avoid the Europe question", having told the Labour Party conference in Liverpool on 29 September that he wanted to "draw a line on a decade of division".
The prospect of a new referendum has drawn criticism. The Daily Mail is among the right-leaning titles reported to have labelled the Prime Minister's suggestion a "Brexit betrayal".
A poll reported by Euro Weekly News in July 2025 indicated that a clear majority of citizens in Germany, France, Spain and Italy would welcome a UK return to the bloc, but only if it accepted current EU rules rather than its pre-Brexit opt-outs.
Despite the enthusiasm of individual national leaders, the official response from the European Commission in Brussels has been more muted, with its spokesman Balazs Ujvari saying it is for the UK government to set out how it wishes to develop its relationship with the EU.
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