Is the EU mischief-making by offering EU citizenship to Brits?

The gesture indicates that British people in Europe will suffer no discrimination if and when Britain does leave the EU, whatever the terms eventually agreed may be

Guy Verhofstadt, the European parliament’s chief Brexit negotiator (Getty)

The offer of EU citizenship for British nationals that has been made by the European Parliament’s chief Brexit negotiator, Guy Verhofstadt, certainly raises some questions. Mr Verhofstadt, it may be recalled, is the man who undiplomatically teased the Brexit Secretary, David Davis, with a “welcome to hell” tweet, and couldn’t help himself from gloating at the Government over the Liberal Democrat win in the Richmond Park by-election (Mr Verhofstadt is the leader of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe). So mischief cannot be entirely ruled out. Even so, it is a very welcome development.

Apparently this bold and generous offer is available to all of the British, opening up the strange possibility that every UK citizen (with the presumed exception of the Ukip diehards) could convert to EU citizenship. Or, more appositely, a significant proportion of the 48 per cent of those who voted to remain in the EU could express their democratic desire in this, novel, form. It would certainly graphically show the British Government that opinion is deeply divided, and that the relatively small margin of victory in the June referendum cannot be talked up into some overwhelming victory. What that might practically mean for someone with little or no motivation to move to an EU member state is not clear. For those who do want to keep that option open, and wish to avail themselves of the traditional, but soon to disappear, right of free movement, it is a highly desirable prize, and even more so for those, numbering about 1.2 million, already at home in the EU.

Thus, far from British citizens working and living in Europe being treated as “bargaining chips” in the Brexit negotiations, some in the EU at least want to offer them the stability and security that EU citizenship represents. While it is not entirely clear what rights and responsibilities are bestowed by such status, and whether they will be also allowed to retain UK nationality, the gesture is symbolically very important. It strongly indicates that British people in Europe will suffer no detriment or discrimination if and when Britain does leave the EU, whatever the terms eventually agreed may be. That is of great comfort to these expats and migrants from Britain, just as it is a benefit to those countries who are able to make use of their talents and abilities and who collect their taxes from them in the usual way. Thus British retirees on the costas need not fear being clobbered with special taxes by the Spanish government; nor would those migrating to Frankfurt or Dublin to work in financial services have anything to fear from the new regime.

Mr Verhoftadt’s proposal also raises the question of how the British Government will respond. Despite warm words to, for example, the Polish Prime Minister on her recent visit, Theresa May’s tough formal stance remains. The status of EU nationals in the UK remain uncertain for as long as the Brexit negotiations are under way. It remains a possibility, perhaps not overwhelming, but non-trivial, that they will face expulsion from Britain, or have to suffer some other diminution in the rights or status compared to their British neighbours. This, or course, notwithstanding their hard work and ambition, which has brought only benefit to the British economy and the communities they live among. In due course the unilateral offer of EU citizenship to the British might remain just that – unreciprocated. If so, it would be a shaming moment in our relationship with Europe, and will do the UK little good in the longer run.

Mr Verhofstadt is a former Prime Minister of Belgium, so he knows a thing or two about dysfunctional political unions and brokering compromises between bickering parties, and making the occasional dramatic conciliatory gesture. It may be that it is something of a stunt manoeuvre, but if some worried British people can take some comfort in it we should not mind about that.