Nigel Farage, leader of Reform UK, met with Jordan Bardella, the head of France's far-right National Rally (RN) party, in London. Bardella, a 30-year-old French MEP who is leading in polls for the 2027 presidential election, expressed his belief that Farage would become the UK's next prime minister.
The two politicians discussed issues including small boat crossings and energy policy, with a particular focus on nuclear energy. Farage has historically maintained some distance from the RN, the successor to the National Front, which was formerly led by Marine Le Pen. Le Pen was recently banned from public office for five years following a conviction for embezzling EU funds, preventing her from contesting the 2027 presidential race.
Bardella acknowledged that Farage had been critical of his party in the past but stated that political parties, like people, are allowed to evolve. He indicated that if the RN were to take power, they would pursue a more restrictive immigration policy, limiting benefits to French citizens and seeking to drastically reduce immigration. Bardella also suggested that police cooperation between France and the UK on small boat issues should focus on returning migrants to their countries of origin. He stated that reducing immigration to France would inevitably impact migrant departures to Great Britain.
Following the meeting, Bardella posted on X that he and Farage had discussed shared challenges facing the UK and France, such as "mass immigration" and the need to boost economic growth.