Johnson, a former member of the European Parliament, told French radio station RTL that he “will always be European” in an interview broadcast on Thursday.
“It’s not a matter of becoming French. If I understand correctly, I’m French,” he told RTL in French, emphasizing the family’s ties to the country.
“My mother was born in France, her mother was completely French, just like her grandfather. So for me it’s a matter of regaining what I already have,” he said of the decision to become a French citizen. . “That’s why I’m very happy.”
Britain will officially leave the EU’s internal market and customs union when the transition period ends on New Year’s Eve at 23:00 GMT (18:00 ET).
Stanley Johnson insisted that Brexit would not be the end of the European identity for him or the English people. “I will always be a European, that’s for sure. One can not say to the English people, ‘You’re not 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, it is important to have such a link with the European Union.”