In Brittany, British citizens who have recently obtained French nationality are preparing to vote in the upcoming European elections on June 9th. One such citizen is John Greenlees, a retired British man living in Maël-Carhaix for the past ten years. He felt the Brexit referendum in 2016, resulting in the UK’s departure from the EU in January 2021, was a tragedy. Now, with his new French nationality, he is excited to be able to vote in the elections again and show that there are English people who love Europe.
In Gouarec, another British citizen, Marilyn Le Moign, who leads an association of 650 British families in the area, also feels strongly about remaining European despite being English. She believes it is important to vote in the upcoming elections, especially with the current fragility of Europe due to events such as the invasion of Ukraine by Russia and the consequences of Brexit. Many British citizens in the central Brittany region are pro-European, as evidenced by the 20% increase in membership in Le Moign’s association post-Brexit.
One such pro-European British citizen in France is Sarah Page, who relocated to France immediately following the Brexit referendum results. She has since become the vice-president of the association European Britons, which advocates for the right of foreigners living in France to vote in European elections. The Insee reports that France is the second most popular destination for British expatriates, after Spain, with 148,300 British citizens residing in France in 2016, including 22,800 who also hold French nationality. These individuals, often retirees, tend to choose Brittany and the west-central region of France for their new homes.
According to the Brittany prefecture, there were 11,547 British citizens in the region in 2020, prior to the implementation of Brexit. Many of these individuals, like Greenlees and Le Moign, are enthusiastic about participating in the upcoming European elections and expressing their support for the European project. Despite the challenges posed by Brexit and the current geopolitical climate, these British citizens living in Brittany are determined to demonstrate their love for Europe and their commitment to being European citizens. The upcoming elections on June 9th provide them with an opportunity to make their voices heard and reinforce their sense of belonging to the European community. Through their active participation in the democratic process, they hope to contribute to a stronger, more united Europe.
