Return from London to the EU? Portugal is favorable, but considers “premature”

O minister for Foreign Affairs, Paulo Rangel, said today that Portugal will be “obviously” in favour of a possible return of the United Kingdom to the European Union, but considers it “premature” to speak of this hypothesis, arguing that the priority is to bring London to 27.

“Portugal will obviously be one of the advocates of the line in front of a UK return to the European Union. But I think it is premature at the moment to talk about it,” said the ruler in London after meeting with the British counterpart, Ed Miliband.

Rangel believes that the path to future ‘reaccession’ is to close relations, notably at the EU-UK summit on 20 November in Brussels, where he considers it important that there be ‘palpable and visible results’.

The meeting, which will bring together the British Prime Minister, Andy Burnham, the President of the European Council, António Costa, and the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, should take stock of progress in areas such as defence, energy or agri-food standards.

“There are a number of subjects where it is possible to do so, namely the issues of the ‘Made in Europe’ programme and to know to what extent the United Kingdom can also benefit from that status,” said the head of Portuguese diplomacy.

London wants British companies to be included in the programme, which favours European companies for public procurement and subsidies in strategic sectors such as steel, cement, aluminium and the automotive industry.

Despite Portuguese support, Paulo Rangel warned that the United Kingdom will have to meet “a set of criteria and obligations”, there cannot be an “a la carte” choice of the advantages of the relationship with the community bloc.

“ As long as these requirements are guaranteed, we will be in the front line of those who defend this approach ", concluded.

In addition to the United Kingdom-EU summit, Rangel said that he discussed the international situation with the counterpart, namely support for Ukraine and Russian interference in the Black Sea, Romania and Bulgaria, Lithuania and Poland, including the case of the Leipzig attack.

The two countries also addressed the Middle East crisis and the importance of freedom of navigation in the Ormuz Strait, the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, the Suez Canal, the Red Sea and the Black Sea.

These issues contributed to the preparation of the Portuguese presidency of the United Nations Security Council, which will begin in January 2027, he said.

The minister said Ed Miliband should visit Lisbon in the first half of 2027.