Former Italian prime minister Mario Monti | Franco Origlia/Getty Images Mario Monti: EU should adopt English post Brexit Ex-Italian PM says the EU should ‘take the decision of upgrading the use of the English language in European Union affairs.’

Mario Monti, the former Italian prime minister and European commissioner, said English should become the main official language of the European Union, once the U.K. leaves the bloc.

Speaking at the Foreign Press Association Media Awards in London on Monday, Monti said French should be sidelined and English given a more prominent role — at present, both are the main languages used when conducting EU affairs.

“The European Union, when the U.K. leaves, should take the decision of upgrading the use of the English language in European Union affairs,” he said, according to the Evening Standard.

“I think we should upgrade the ways we use English and it should become the language of the European Union. I exaggerate a bit — there should be a bit of French. It will be a very appropriate gesture to the U.K. It would help us Europeans to become more competitive by using fewer languages.”