British Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s father said on Thursday that he was in the process of applying for a French passport to maintain his ties with the European Union (EU) after Brexit.
Stanley Johnson, a former member of the European Parliament who voted to Remain in the 2016 British referendum, told RTL radio that he wanted to become a French citizen due to strong family ties to France.
“If I understand it correctly, I am French. My mother was born in France, her mother was totally French just like her grandfather. So for me it’s about recovering what I already have. And that makes me very happy, ”said Johnson, 80, who spoke in French.
“I will always be European, that’s for sure. You cannot tell the British people: you are not European. Having a link with the European Union is important ”, he added.
His son Boris was the public face of the Leave campaign in the 2016 referendum and says Britain can “powerfully prosper” as a fully sovereign nation outside of what he sees as an overly bureaucratic EU.
But on Wednesday, the prime minister issued a more conciliatory note when parliament approved a new trade deal with the EU, saying: “This is not the end of Britain as a European country. We are, in many ways, the European civilization par excellence … and we will continue to be that. ”
The UK officially leaves the EU orbit on Thursday night, after an often strained 48-year relationship with the European project.
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