Jordan Bardella, the 30-year-old president of France's Rassemblement National (National Rally), will join Nigel Farage on stage at Reform UK's annual conference in Birmingham on Friday. The two leaders are expected to hold a joint press conference focused on illegal migration and cross-Channel cooperation, according to a party spokesperson who spoke to Euronews.
The meeting comes a day after British Prime Minister Andy Burnham and French President Emmanuel Macron discussed ways to "scale up" efforts to curb small boat crossings and reset the UK's relationship with Europe. Bardella's appearance in Birmingham is part of a broader international tour that will take him to Cernobbio, Italy, on Saturday for the Ambrosetti Forum, an annual economic and geopolitical gathering.
A united front, but divisions beneath
Bardella, once seen as the National Rally's most likely candidate for the 2027 French presidential election, is now running on a joint ticket with Marine Le Pen, positioning himself as her prospective prime minister. Despite the public show of unity, policy differences have emerged between the two, particularly over pensions and the wearing of the hijab in France.
Bardella has called France's current pension system "unsustainable," while seeking to soften the controversy around Le Pen's proposed ban on the hijab in public spaces. On Monday, he told reporters that the goal was not to "enforce a dress code," adding that a referendum would be held on the matter. He has also presented himself as more market-friendly than Le Pen, who has traditionally backed protectionist measures.
These divisions have fueled speculation about the internal dynamics of the National Rally, as Bardella increasingly steps onto the international stage. His meeting with Farage is not their first: the two met in December last year at a private members' club in London. But their relationship has not always been smooth. In 2014, Le Pen accused Farage of "aggression" after he refused to form an alliance with the then-National Front in the European Parliament, citing the party's "anti-Semitism and general prejudice."
Le Pen, who has launched her 2027 presidential bid, remains staunchly eurosceptic. Last week, she told business leaders that there was "no reason" for France's contributions to the EU—which reached nearly €29 billion for 2026—to exceed €5 billion. She also called for scrapping thousands of European norms, saying, "Every time the European Union sets a minimum norm, we go above and beyond—we want to be the top student in the class."
Reform UK hit by donations scandal
The Birmingham conference is taking place under a cloud. On Friday, hours before the event was due to begin, Reform UK was reported to the Metropolitan Police and the Electoral Commission over alleged illegal donations. The complaint follows an undercover investigation by Channel 4 News, in which an investigative group called Verbatim posed as a wealthy American financier and his UK-based son. Under UK law, donations from foreign investors are illegal.
Reform has denied any wrongdoing, dismissing the report as "a hoax perpetuated by foreign-funded, climate change activists posing as would-be party donors." The party insists it has "a robust vetting process for prospective donors approved by the Electoral Commission."
Farage is also trying to move past a separate controversy over a £5 million (€5.8 million) "gift" from British cryptocurrency billionaire Christopher Harborne. Farage says the money, which is being investigated by parliament's sleaze watchdog, was for his security and was received before he was elected as an MP, so it did not need to be declared to parliamentary authorities.
Bardella's appearance at the Reform conference underscores the growing ties between Europe's nationalist and eurosceptic parties. As the EU faces challenges over migration, security, and the rule of law, the meeting in Birmingham signals a coordinated effort to reshape the continent's political landscape from the outside.
