Emmanuel Macron is urging the European Union to agree to a close relationship with the UK after Brexit, according to reports.
The French president aims to use an EU summit next month in Salzburg, Austria, to push for a new “alliance” between the bloc and Britain, The Times reports.
A new Continental structure would see “concentric circles” with the EU and Euro at its core and the UK in a second ring, according to the newspaper.
Mr Macron has previously taken a hard line stance on Brexit. Just this week he said that France would not want a “special relationship” with London if it came at the cost of “unravelling” the EU.
Brexit: Article 50 Triggered – In pictures
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Britain’s ambassador to the EU Tim Barrow delivers British Prime Minister Theresa May’s formal notice of the UK’s intention to leave the bloc under Article 50 of the EU’s Lisbon Treaty to European Council President Donald Tusk in Brussels
AFP/Getty Images
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Prime Minister Theresa May speaks during Prime Minister’s Questions in the House of Common
PA
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Britain’s ambassador to the EU Tim Barrow delivers British Prime Minister Theresa May’s formal notice of the UK’s intention to leave the bloc under Article 50 of the EU’s Lisbon Treaty to European Council President Donald Tusk in Brussels
AFP/Getty Images
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European Council President Donald Tusk holds a news conference after receiving British Prime Minister Theresa May’s Brexit letter in notice of the UK’s intention to leave the bloc under Article 50 of the EU’s Lisbon Treaty to EU Council President Donald Tusk in Brussels, Belgium
Yves Herman/Reuters
8/20
Prime Minister Theresa May takes her seat after announcing in the House of Commons
PA
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The time 12:20pm shows on Big Ben on March 29, 2017 in London, England. The British Prime Minister Theresa May addresses the Houses of Parliament as Article 50 is triggered and the process that will take the United Kingdom out of the European Union begins
Carl Court/Getty Images
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D-day: pro-EU protesters outside of the Houses of Parliament today as Theresa May prepares to trigger Article 50
AFP/Getty Images
11/20
EU Council President Donald Tusk holds British Prime Minister Theresa May’s Brexit letter which was delivered by Britain’s permanent representative to the European Union Tim Barrow (not pictured) that gives notice of the UK’s intention to leave the bloc under Article 50 of the EU’s Lisbon Treaty in Brussels, Belgium
Yves Herman/Reuters
12/20
PMQ’s in The House of Commons
PA
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Jeremy Corbyn speaking at PMQ’s in The House of Commons
Sky News
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Theresa May leaving for the House of Commons
Jeremy Selwyn
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Mayor of London Sadiq Khan at the headquarters of Vivendi in Paris where he took part in TV interviews to discuss the imminent triggering of Article 50 by the UK to leave the EU
Stefan Rousseau/PA
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Britain’s permanent representative to the European Union Tim Barrow arrives at the EU Council headquarters for as meeting before hand delivering British Prime Minister Theresa May’s notice of the UK’s intention to leave the bloc under Article 50 of the EU’s Lisbon Treaty to EU Council President Donald Tusk in Brussels, Belgium
Yves Herman/Reuters
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Britain’s ambassador to the EU Tim Barrow arrives at the British representation of the European Union in Brussels
Aurore Belot/AFP/Getty Images
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A giant headed Theresa May in Parliament Square, London during a protest by Avaaz after PM signed a letter to trigger Article 50 that starts the formal exit process by the UK from the European Union
David Mirzoeff/PA
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British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson walks down Whitehall
Jack Taylor/Getty Images
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Britain’s PM Theresa May signs the official letter to European Council President Donald Tusk, invoking Article 50.
AFP/Getty Images
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Britain’s ambassador to the EU Tim Barrow delivers British Prime Minister Theresa May’s formal notice of the UK’s intention to leave the bloc under Article 50 of the EU’s Lisbon Treaty to European Council President Donald Tusk in Brussels
AFP/Getty Images
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Prime Minister Theresa May speaks during Prime Minister’s Questions in the House of Common
PA
3/20
Britain’s ambassador to the EU Tim Barrow delivers British Prime Minister Theresa May’s formal notice of the UK’s intention to leave the bloc under Article 50 of the EU’s Lisbon Treaty to European Council President Donald Tusk in Brussels
AFP/Getty Images
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European Council President Donald Tusk holds a news conference after receiving British Prime Minister Theresa May’s Brexit letter in notice of the UK’s intention to leave the bloc under Article 50 of the EU’s Lisbon Treaty to EU Council President Donald Tusk in Brussels, Belgium
Yves Herman/Reuters
8/20
Prime Minister Theresa May takes her seat after announcing in the House of Commons
PA
9/20
The time 12:20pm shows on Big Ben on March 29, 2017 in London, England. The British Prime Minister Theresa May addresses the Houses of Parliament as Article 50 is triggered and the process that will take the United Kingdom out of the European Union begins
Carl Court/Getty Images
10/20
D-day: pro-EU protesters outside of the Houses of Parliament today as Theresa May prepares to trigger Article 50
AFP/Getty Images
11/20
EU Council President Donald Tusk holds British Prime Minister Theresa May’s Brexit letter which was delivered by Britain’s permanent representative to the European Union Tim Barrow (not pictured) that gives notice of the UK’s intention to leave the bloc under Article 50 of the EU’s Lisbon Treaty in Brussels, Belgium
Yves Herman/Reuters
12/20
PMQ’s in The House of Commons
PA
13/20
Jeremy Corbyn speaking at PMQ’s in The House of Commons
Sky News
14/20
Theresa May leaving for the House of Commons
Jeremy Selwyn
15/20
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan at the headquarters of Vivendi in Paris where he took part in TV interviews to discuss the imminent triggering of Article 50 by the UK to leave the EU
Stefan Rousseau/PA
16/20
Britain’s permanent representative to the European Union Tim Barrow arrives at the EU Council headquarters for as meeting before hand delivering British Prime Minister Theresa May’s notice of the UK’s intention to leave the bloc under Article 50 of the EU’s Lisbon Treaty to EU Council President Donald Tusk in Brussels, Belgium
Yves Herman/Reuters
17/20
Britain’s ambassador to the EU Tim Barrow arrives at the British representation of the European Union in Brussels
Aurore Belot/AFP/Getty Images
18/20
A giant headed Theresa May in Parliament Square, London during a protest by Avaaz after PM signed a letter to trigger Article 50 that starts the formal exit process by the UK from the European Union
David Mirzoeff/PA
19/20
British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson walks down Whitehall
Jack Taylor/Getty Images
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Britain’s PM Theresa May signs the official letter to European Council President Donald Tusk, invoking Article 50.
AFP/Getty Images
The latest claims emerged after the bloc’s chief negotiator Michel Barnier struck an optimistic tone, stating: “We are prepared to offer Britain a partnership such as there never has been with any other third country.”
The comments helped trigger a sharp rise for sterling on the money markets.
Mr Macron fears a no-deal Brexit will damage Europe, according to The Times. The newspaper quoted a diplomatic source saying: “He sees a no-deal scenario as something that would break links and poison relations at a time when Europe needs to be united beyond the EU.”
As the deadline to Brexit approaches, London is intensifying its withdrawal agenda with Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt at an EU meeting in Austria on Thursday, and Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab due to hold talks in Brussels on Friday with Mr Barnier.
Mr Raab moved to present an upbeat message to a House of Lords committee this week stating that he was “confident that a deal is within our sights”.
However, the Brexit Secretary indicated negotiations could go beyond the expected October deadline, stating: “I think it is important as we enter the final phase of the negotiations in the lead up to the October council and the possibility that it may creep beyond that, we want to see some renewed energy.
“We’re bringing the ambition and the substance of our white paper on the future relationship and also I think some pragmatism to try and go the extra mile to get the deal that I think is in both sides’ interests. We need that to be matched obviously, it’s a negotiation.”
