A month before a general election in the UK where all main parties have ruled out rejoining the EU and where Nigel Farage, despite his own acknowledgement that Brexit has failed, is set to make a return to frontline politics, 35 MEP candidates from 10 European countries have pledged to “support Scotland’s democratic will to be part of the EU”.
European elections without Scotland
Their solidarity stands in stark contrast to the narrative that the EU is set to shift to the far right and become more inward-looking, with fears that the European elections may endorse some of Farage’s European counterparts.
The European elections to be held this week from 6-9 June will be the first in which UK citizens cannot vote, including Scots, who strongly rejected Brexit in the 2016 referendum.
Against the background of widespread “Bregret” across the UK, Europe for Scotland, a grassroots initiative supporting the nation post-Brexit, has been pushing the failure of Brexit back on the agenda in Brussels.
Launched on Europe Day, the “Speak Up For Scotland” campaign asked MEP candidates to pledge that they would work to ensure that any application from Scotland to rejoin the EU is welcomed.
Current MEPs who have signed the pledge include French MEPs Marie Toussaint, David Cormand and Lydie Massard, Italian MEP Brando Benifei, German MEP Martin Schirdewan, Belgian MEP Saskia Bricmont, Irish MEP Clare Daly, and Spanish MEPs Fernando Barrena and Jordi Solé, though Solé is not running for re-election in the European elections.
Solé said:
I fully support Scotland’s comeback to the EU, either as a member state if their citizens wish Scotland to become an independent state and a member state of the EU, or as part of the UK if Scotland would remain part of it and there would ever be a new decision by the British people to re-enter the EU.
Securing Scotland’s future in Europe
Support for the campaign also came from the EFA Spitzenkandidat Maylis Roßberg, who joined other MEPs in stating that Scotland “can help us build a better Europe.”
Cormand commented:
I wish to express my solidarity with all Scottish citizens who have been deprived by Brexit of a vote in this election, a choice that the Scottish people rejected by 62% in the 2016 referendum on the UK’s membership of the EU.
The campaign aims to secure support for Scotland in the next European Parliament after the European elections; crucial in view of the EU’s planned enlargement.
Nina Jetter, Europe for Scotland’s coordinator, said:
While the EU looks East, with accession talks with Moldova and Ukraine, let’s not forget about Scotland, which was taken out of the EU against its democratic will.
For more details on the campaign and the full list of supportive MEP candidates, please visit https://europeforscotland.com/speak-up-for-scotland-campaign/
Featured image via Europe for Scotland
