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“When I tell them I’m going to vote in the European elections, my friends in the UK are jealous” : British retiree, John Greenlees, who obtained French nationality a month in the past, intends to recall by voting that“there are English people who love Europe”stories Agence France-Presse.

Established for ten years in Maël-Carhaix, in Côtes-d'Armor, Mr. Greenlees lived “like a tragedy” the Brexit referendum in 2016, which resulted within the United Kingdom leaving the European Union (EU) in January 2021. Since then, solely Britons who even have the nationality of an EU member nation could have the precise to take part within the vote which is able to happen from June 6 to 9.

With his model new French nationality, the 66-year-old former laptop scientist will “to be able to vote again” : “Voting in the European elections is a sort of revenge. I became European again! » In Gouarec, “even if we are English, we remain European in our hearts”says Marilyn Le Moign, 76, head of AIKB, an affiliation which brings collectively 650 British households in and round Gouarec.

The Franco-British municipal councilor may also vote in June. “It’s important, especially at the moment when Europe is weakened,” by Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the implications of Brexit, confides M^me Le Moign. “ Here in central Brittany, most Britons are pro-Europe”assures the one who noticed the variety of members of her affiliation enhance by 20% after Brexit.

Among them, Sarah Page. The sixty-year-old moved to France “as soon as the results are announced” of the referendum. Shortly after her arrival in Morbihan, she grew to become vice-president of the European Britons affiliation which campaigns for the precise to vote in European elections for foreigners dwelling in France.

According to INSEE, France is the second host nation for the British, after Spain. In 2016, the institute recorded 148,300 Britons in France, together with 22,800 who additionally had French nationality. Often retired, they favor Brittany and the center-west of France for his or her settlement, in line with the identical supply. The prefecture of Brittany counted 11,547 Britons within the area in 2020, earlier than Brexit got here into pressure.