Paris – A new agreement between Britain’s Reform UK, led by Nigel Farage, and France’s National Rally (RN), headed by Jordan Bardella, proposes that asylum seekers who arrive in the United Kingdom in small boats be sent back to France. The memorandum, signed on Friday, would take effect only if both parties win power in their respective countries.

French candidates condemn the deal

Conservative presidential hopeful Edouard Philippe, former prime minister and leader of the Horizons party, called the pact a “U‑turn” for the RN, questioning whether Marine Le Pen, the party’s presidential candidate, shares Bardella’s view.

Gabriel Attal, former prime minister and head of the centrist Renaissance party, warned that the agreement shows “submission” of the National Rally to foreign interests, describing it as an unprecedented level of unpreparedness.

Far‑left candidate Jean‑Luc Mélenchon warned on X that the deal would make France “the gatekeeper of the English,” urging voters to reject Le Pen in 2027 as a matter of national dignity.

Centre‑left contender Raphaël Glucksmann of Place Publique labeled the pact a hallmark of RN weakness, citing the party’s poor performance in the European Parliament as evidence that they cannot protect France’s interests.

Bardella defends the agreement

Jordan Bardella dismissed the criticism, stating, “If tomorrow we are in power, and Nigel Farage is as well, we will do everything in our power to curb immigration both in France and in England.”

The memorandum remains a proposal, contingent on electoral success in both the United Kingdom and France, and highlights the growing debate over immigration policy and national sovereignty ahead of the 2027 French presidential election.

Original reporting: Appleton, WI News Feed (HLL/CB) — read the source article.