Julian Barnes Optimistic About UK’s Return to the EU

Julian Barnes Foresees UK Return to European Union

English novelist Julian Barnes stated on October 20, 2026, that he expects the European Union to eventually open its doors to a British return following a decade of what he termed depressing post-Brexit isolation, La Voz de Asturias reported. Speaking in Oviedo two days before receiving the Princess of Asturias Award for Literature, the author said he is more optimistic now than at any point in the past ten years regarding future relations between London and Brussels. Soy mucho más optimista ahora que en los últimos diez años, pero, por supuesto, todo depende de ustedes en Europa, Barnes affirmed at the press conference, adding that everything depends on whether Europe wants them back and under what terms.

Optimism Built on Changing Demographics

Barnes admitted he initially doubted he would live long enough to witness his country rejoin the European Union. However, he pointed to a generational shift as the driving force behind a potential reversal. During the decade since the 2016 referendum, a new cohort of young voters has reached adulthood, viewing disconnection from Europe as absurd.

The novelist also welcomed the stance taken by the new British Prime Minister, Andy Burnham. According to Barnes, Burnham has shown a willingness to review ties with Europe that previous leaders avoided out of fear of right-wing figures like Neil Farage and what Barnes described as his ridiculous party.

Barnes Warns That Global Instability Threatens Democratic Norms

Barnes tied his hopes for a reinstated membership to broader global instability, warning that Donald Trump’s behavior threatens to turn the United States into a failed state and an unreliable ally. He argued that this transatlantic drift makes a reunion important for a Europe facing tensions and far-right agitation.

In Barnes’s view, the current international climate resembles George Orwell’s novel 1984, characterized by three authoritarian power blocs where China, Russia, and the United States are governed by autocrats who disregard democratic norms.

A Definitive Literary Retirement

The Oviedo appearances coincide with the conclusion of Barnes’s writing career. Following the publication of fifteen novels since 1980—including Flaubert’s Parrot—Barnes released Despedidas (Anagrama), a hybrid work of fiction and memoir that serves as his final book.

“I realized that I had already told all my stories, that I had touched all my melodies,” Barnes stated at the press conference, ruling out any future volumes. Tal vez sea bonito que algunos piensen que voy a escribir otro libro, pero es el final, he added, noting that he did not want to be the kind of writer who simply keeps rambling on.