Boris Johnson’s father says he will seek French citizenship, hours before Brexit

Johnson, a former member of the European Parliament, told French radio RTL that he “will always be European” in an interview broadcast on Thursday.

“It is not a question of becoming French. If I understand correctly, I am French,” he told RTL in French, highlighting his family’s connection to the country.

“My mother was born in France, her mother was entirely French, as was her grandfather. So, for me, it is a question of recovering what I already have,” he said of the decision to become a French citizen. “So, I’m very happy.”

Britain officially leaves the EU’s single market and customs union when the transition period ends at 23:00 GMT (18:00 ET) on New Year’s Eve.

The post-Brexit trade agreement between the EU and the UK comes into force at that time, after the two parties agreed to a last-minute deal. But most Britons will start 2021 by losing the ability to work and travel freely across the 27-nation bloc.

Stanley Johnson insisted that Brexit will not mark the end of European identity for him or the English people. “I will always be European, that’s for sure. You can’t say to the English, ‘You are not a European,'” Johnson told RTL.

“Europe is always more than the common market, it is more than the European Union”, he added. “But that said, yes, having that link with the European Union is important.”

The prime minister’s father has frequently made headlines since his son began his term. In July, he was criticized for traveling to Greece while the UK was under arrest. And last December – the night his son won an overwhelming election – Stanley Johnson was accused of making an Islamophobic comment on television.