The National Rally (RN) in France and Reform UK, a far-right party in Britain, share more than just a stance on immigration. Their alignment spans cultural issues and environmental policy. At the last Reform UK congress, RN leader Jordan Bardella emphasized the many points of agreement between the two parties, which are both expected to gain influence in the coming years. Both parties view immigration as an "invasion," frame themselves as defenders of national culture and values, and criticize environmental policies as "punitive ecology." Although their language and rhetoric are similar, linguistic analysis of their manifestos shows some differences in how they express these ideas.
The relationship between the RN and Reform UK has not always been friendly. In 2014, when Nigel Farage was leading UKIP, he refused to ally with the RN, criticizing its antisemitic elements and its economic policies, which he found incompatible with his own liberal views. However, the political landscape has changed, and while some distrust remains, the two parties have grown closer. This was evident when Bardella gave a speech at Reform UK's annual congress in September 2023, where a "symbolic agreement protocol" was signed by the two leaders.
Both parties are generally classified as radical right populist movements, driven by the ideology of national-populism. This ideology prioritizes national culture and interests and claims to represent people who feel ignored by political elites. Opposition to mass immigration is a key component of their platforms. However, political scientist Tim Bale notes that their shared concerns now extend beyond immigration to include a rejection of "wokism" and resistance to environmental policies aimed at achieving carbon neutrality.
An analysis of their political manifestos using linguistic tools reveals similarities in content, but differences in rhetorical style. Both parties use the metaphor of water to describe the challenges of managing immigration. Reform UK uses the imagery of the cliffs of Dover to symbolize Britain's historical protection against continental threats. In their 2024 manifesto, they titled a section "Uncontrolled Immigration has Pushed Britain to Breaking Point," drawing a direct link to the Brexit referendum slogan. In France, the RN also uses the water metaphor, but with a focus on "overflow" and "submersion," emphasizing the need to control immigration to prevent a "never-before-reached level" of migratory pressure.
Both parties frame mass immigration as a threat to national culture. Reform UK links immigration to the spread of multiculturalism, communitarianism, and "woke" ideology, emphasizing British culture and Christian values. The RN, on the other hand, focuses on the decline of French civilization, blaming immigration, Islamic ideology, and low birth rates. Both parties criticize environmental policies, but Reform UK uses terms like "punitive taxation" and "Whitehall diktats" to argue against what it sees as arbitrary restrictions, while the RN calls for a "reasonable ecology" that protects the French standard of living and national independence. Despite these differences, both parties use populist rhetoric to frame environmental and immigration issues as existential threats to their nations.
French National Rally and Reform UK Share Ideological and Rhetorical Similarities
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