Barnier urges euro and Schengen exemptions if UK rejoins EU
The former Brexit negotiator backed flexibility on currency and passport-free travel, but rejected selective participation in the single market.
Britain should be allowed to retain the pound and stay outside Schengen if it seeks EU membership again, Michel Barnier, the EU’s former chief Brexit negotiator, said on 5 November 2026.
Barnier, now a French lawmaker, argued that a British decision to pursue closer relations should not come with an obligation to adopt the euro or enter the passport-free travel area. He nevertheless ruled out selective participation in the single market, reiterating a position he took during the Brexit negotiations.
British Prime Minister Andy Burnham has said he ultimately wants Britain to return to the EU and has suggested that the proposal could feature in Labour’s next election manifesto. He has also identified single-market membership and a customs union as possible options, alongside full membership.
Barnier also served as France’s prime minister for roughly three months in 2024, before a parliamentary no-confidence vote brought down his government.
