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‘‘Joining it would not prejudge future membership of the European Union, and it would not be closed to those who have left the latter.’’

During a trip to Berlin later in the day, Macron confirmed that Britain would be invited to ‘take its full place’ in the new community.

Macron has previously suggested that Europe form an array of alliances making up ‘concentric circles’ and his new organisation would see the UK on the outer ring.

Britain already rejected security ties with Europe as part of the Brexit agreemet - and Eastern European countries have been ciritical of plans for an apparently two-tier European Union. Macron also said Ukraine’s wish to join the EU could take decades, so the new political union might act as a stop-gap measure.

‘‘Ukraine by its fight and its courage is already a heartfelt member of our Europe, of our family, of our union,’’ said Macron.

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‘‘Even if we grant it candidate status tomorrow, we all know perfectly well that the process to allow it to join would take several years indeed, probably several decades.’’

Macron, who won a second fiveyear term in his own country last month, said he was also in favour ‘of the revision of EU treaties’, as proposed by the European Parliament.

He said this would make it easier for the bloc to deal with emergencies such as the Ukraine War and the Coronavirus pandemic. loyalists on Sunday and local residents had mixed feelings about their next leader.

One local resident, surname Kwok, said she had modest expectations for the new administration, but hoped they would be able to improve the economy and help people facing economic difficulties. Another resident, surname Ho, was pleased to learn Lee had been chosen as the former British colony’s new leader by over 90 per cent of the election committee and congratulated him. Lee, a former Hong Kong Secretary for security, has forcefully implemented China’s harsher regime under a national security law and is due to take over from incumbent Carrie Lam on July 1.