British Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s father has requested a French passport, he announced on Thursday.
The prime minister’s father, Stanley Johnson, told radio station RTL that he wanted to renew his family’s ties with France after Brexit - the United Kingdom’s departure from the European Union, which he voted against.
“It’s not a matter of becoming French. If I’ve understood correctly, I am French,” Johnson said in French. “My mother was born in France, her mother was entirely French and her grandfather too.”
“So for me it's a question of reclaiming what I already have,” he told RTL, adding that he was “very happy" of that fact.
“I will always be European,” Johnson said, “that’s for sure,” adding that it’s important to maintain a link with the EU.
Johnson made his announced on the eve of Brexit, as a transition period in which the UK remained part of the EU's single market and customs union comes to an end.
The UK and the EU reached a post-Brexit trade agreement just days before the end of this transition period. According to the prime minister, the UK has "taken back control of our laws and our destiny” in what is "the biggest trade deal yet."
The agreement was signed by Johnson, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council president Charles Michel on Wednesday.
Jason Spinks
The Brussels Times
