Ten years after the UK’s decision to hold a referendum that ultimately led to Brexit, a new survey suggests that a majority of voters in Europe’s largest countries would support Britain rejoining the European Union. However, this support comes with a significant caveat: most believe the UK should return under different terms than those it previously enjoyed.

The YouGov EuroTrack survey, conducted in June across six Western European countries—including the UK—reveals a clear divide between what EU citizens and Britons envision for a potential return.

EU Favourable to UK Return, But Without Special Privileges

In the EU’s four largest member states—Germany, France, Italy, and Spain—at least half of respondents said they would welcome the UK back. Support ranged from 51% in Italy to 63% in Germany. However, only a small proportion—between 19% and 22%—believed Britain should be allowed to rejoin under its former special conditions, such as exemption from the euro and the Schengen Area.

Instead, 58% to 62% of respondents across these countries said the UK should return as a full member, adopting all core EU policies. Between 41% and 52% opposed the idea of the UK retaining its previous exemptions, while only 33% to 36% found such terms acceptable.

British Public Divided Over Conditions for Rejoining

Within the UK itself, the survey highlighted a nuanced picture. While a simple majority—54%—said they would support rejoining the EU if no conditions were mentioned, that support dropped to just 36% when the question involved giving up previous opt-outs. In that scenario, 45% of British respondents were opposed to returning.

Support for a conditional return also dropped sharply among key political groups:

  • Among Remain voters, willingness to rejoin fell from nearly 60% to 35% without exemptions.
  • Labour supporters’ approval declined from 58% to 35%.
  • For Liberal Democrat voters, support dropped from 49% to 18%.

Meanwhile, among Leave voters, just 10% said they would support a return without the UK’s former privileges, compared to 21% when no terms were specified. Support among Conservative voters and Reform UK supporters also halved.

Denmark the Outlier

Of the countries surveyed, Denmark emerged as the most favourable toward a UK return. Seventy-two percent of Danish respondents supported Britain rejoining, and 43% were open to the idea of the UK retaining its past opt-outs. This is notable given that Denmark itself holds exemptions in several key EU policy areas—one of only three member states to do so.

Support for Scottish EU Membership

The survey also asked about the hypothetical accession of an independent Scotland to the EU. A substantial majority—ranging from 63% to 75%—of respondents across the five continental countries said they would support Scotland joining the bloc.

Political Implications

Despite growing support among the public, a return to the EU appears unlikely in the short term. The UK’s current Labour government, while having pursued a “reset” of relations with Brussels, is not actively seeking full reintegration into the Union.

The findings point to a public opinion stalemate: while many Britons and Europeans favour the UK’s return, they diverge on the terms. EU voters are less inclined to offer the same privileges as before, while many Britons would only consider rejoining under conditions similar to those they once had.

The survey was conducted between 12 and 27 June 2025, with over 2,000 adults surveyed in both the UK and Germany, and more than 1,000 respondents in France, Italy, Spain, and Denmark.