The Straits Times World News
· collected 2026-09-05 · by The Straits Times
French presidential election candidates Edouard Philippe, Gabriel Attal, Jean-Luc Melenchon, and Raphaël Glucksmann have criticized a plan between Britain's Reform UK party and France's National Rally to send asylum seekers who arrive in Britain by small boats back to France. The memorandum of understanding was signed on Friday by Nigel Farage and Jordan Bardella, with the agreement intended to take effect if both parties win power. The critics accuse National Rally of "submission" to foreign interests and being weak on defending French interests. Bardella has dismissed the criticism, stating that his party will work to curb immigration in France and England if they come into power.
Written by the local model on 2026-09-06,
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Leaning score -0.35 for article 5086 (high confidence, 2 verified quotes) · logged 2026-09-06
Farage and Bardella's 'small boats' pact draws criticism in France
PARIS, Sept 5 -
asserted
pact → draw → France
A plan agreed by Britain's populist Reform UK party and France's National Rally, aimed at sending asylum seekers who arrive in Britain in small boats back to France, drew criticism from several French presidential election candidates on Saturday.
asserted
who → agree → Saturday
A memorandum of understanding signed on Friday by Reform leader Nigel Farage and National Rally (RN) chief Jordan Bardella is intended to go into effect if the two parties win power.
asserted
parties → sign → power
• Edouard Philippe, a former prime minister who is the conservative presidential candidate for the Horizons party in the 2027 election, said the pact was a "U-turn" for RN.
asserted
pact → say → RN
• "Seeing Jordan Bardella sign an agreement that provides for sending back to France migrants intercepted in the Channel, that one we didn't see coming," he said, asking whether the party's presidential candidate, Marine Le Pen, was "on the same page" as Bardella.
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candidate → see → Bardella
• Former Prime Minister and leader of the center-right Renaissance party Gabriel Attal said the pact showed the "submission " of the National Rally to foreign interests.
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pact → say → interests
• "We are reaching levels of unpreparedness and submission that are almost never seen in the recent history of the National Rally.
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that → reach → Rally
This shows their foreign policy is one of great submission to other powers," Attal said.
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Attal → show → powers
• Far-left leader and presidential candidate Jean-Luc Melenchon said on X that if the deal comes to fruition, "Our country would become the gatekeeper of the English.
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country → say → English
Not voting for Le Pen in 2027 becomes a matter of national dignity."
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voting → vote → dignity
• Centre-left candidate Raphaël Glucksmann of the Place Publique party told BFM TV: "That's the hallmark of the National Rally: weakness when it comes to defending France's interests.
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it → tell → interests
• Bardella dismissed the criticism.
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Bardella → dismiss → criticism
"So I welcome this agreement, and 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," he said.
asserted
he → welcome → England
