Nicholas Sarkozy pledged to get an EU treaty changed so Britain can get out of a Brexit

Nicholas Sarkozy pledged to negotiate a new treaty for European Union members that would allow Britain to get out of a Brexit if he becomes France's new president in May next year.

Sarkozy told reporters, including those from the Financial Times, that if he regained the top position within France's government, he will personally fly out to Germany immediately after the elections in order to thrash out a new treaty with one of the EU's most powerful people - German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

"I would tell the British, you've gone out, but we have a new treaty on the table so you have an opportunity to vote again. But this time not on the old Europe, on the new Europe. Do you want to stay? If yes, so much the better. Because I can't accept to lose Europe's second-largest economy while we are negotiating with Turkey over its EU membership. And if it's no, then it's a real no. You're in or you're out," said Sarkozy, according to the FT.

"Everybody in Europe is annoyed when France and Germany strike deals, but when they don't, everybody frets. And don't tell me this treaty would be complicated to negotiate. I have a lot of experience negotiating treaties. The worst would be to do nothing."

Britain voted to leave the EU on June 23. The vote was extremely close - 51.9% opted for a Brexit while 48.1% voted for remaining within the 28-nation bloc.

Since then Theresa May has taken over as Prime Minister of the UK after David Cameron stepped down. In order for Britain to leave the EU, the Prime Minister needs to trigger Article 50, which is a formal declaration that the UK is officially going to Brexit and thereby start the two-year negotiation process of what an exit from the bloc would look like.

There is no set date for when, or even if, Article 50 will be triggered. In fact, she does not technically have to trigger it at all. However, there have been reports that she will trigger it in the first quarter of next year.

Meanwhile, a number of MPs, including former Labour leadership candidate Owen Smith, have argued May should not trigger Article 50 until the prospective terms of Britain's exit have been backed by the a parliamentary majority. The prime minister has already ruled this out. But her hand might soon be forced.

In November, the UK Supreme Court will rule whether May is legally required to put Brexit to a parliamentary vote before triggering Article 50. Gina Miller, a London-based investment manager who is spearheading the case, told BI that May could not use royal prerogative to take Britain out of the EU.

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