“Farage still supports Brexit, whereas she has abandoned [Frexit], as it’s too frightening for French voters,” said far-right expert Jean-Yves Camus, from the Jean-Jaurès Foundation, a think tank. “And the recent defeat of Donald Trump in the midterms will reinforce Le Pen’s mistrust of Trumpism and all his lookalikes in Europe.”
The migration deal was signed between Bardella and Farage, and at the time, there were already doubts about the level of backing inside the National Rally for the deal.
Since Reform’s party conference in September, Bardella’s star has further waned following antisemitism allegations, which he has vigorously rejected.
Ahead of the Farage-Bardella deal, Farage bullishly proposed launching the “largest military operation in the English Channel since World War II” to return small boats to French shores.
“Why [send them back] to France if they aren’t French?” one person close to Le Pen told POLITICO at the time.
Spokespeople for Reform and National Rally did not respond to requests for comment.
Sarah Paillou contributed to this report. Clea Caulcutt reported from Paris.