For France, the significance of Friday’s Paris summit between President Emmanuel Macron and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak was that it marked a return to normality after years of petty disputes, in which the two leaders made clear that they were serious about repairing an unhealthy relationship.
While Mr Sunak made it clear ahead of the Élysée meeting that he expected Mr Macron’s support for his controversial new plan to curb cross-Channel migration, this was seen in Paris as a small detail affecting symbolism of Europe. concentrated large military forces have a reasonable and constructive working relationship.
Mr. Sunak’s hopes for an agreement on readmission and repatriation of asylum seekers have always been considered a false start.
Since leaving the EU, the UK is no longer a party to the so-called Dublin bloc rules, under which migrants can be sent back to the first EU country they entered.
Since France is part of the EU free movement area, it does not have the right to make such bilateral decisions.
Indeed, French officials pointed out with irony that former Prime Minister Boris Johnson failed to negotiate repatriation with the EU as part of his 2019 Brexit deal.
French Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin made it clear this week that the deal with the UK would be through the EU, not bilateral, and would cover migrants’ rights and a legal immigration path.
Macron himself said the issue would be discussed within the new Pan-European Political Community (EPC), a broader European club he founded last year that also includes the UK.
The three-year £500m deal for the new detention center matches the UK’s four previous deals over the past three years in which it pays France to strengthen the Channel’s police force.
For the French, defense cooperation with Britain is much more important, especially given the war in Ukraine.
The 2021 AUKUS deal, in which the US and UK undermined France’s position as supplier of Australia’s next generation of submarines, continues to please Paris officials, who see it as a betrayal by other NATO members, though it is hardly mentioned in London.
That deal will not be cancelled, but Mr Sunak and Mr Macron have discussed several joint initiatives, from training Ukrainian soldiers and increasing arms supplies to Kiev to jointly developing new fighter jets and improving interoperability between the British and French militaries (although Mr Macron is also looking to build up the EU’s overall defense capability, so there may be times when the UK can no longer undertake military projects.)
Paris has also been paying more attention to cultural and youth ties, with French transport minister Clement Beaune helping organize an exchange event for so-called young leaders from Britain and France on the sidelines of the summit.
These links are still considered important in France, especially as Brexit ended the UK’s participation in EU programs such as the Erasmus university exchange program and the Horizon research programme.
Finally, French officials have stressed, at least in private, that the main reason for the improvement in relations between Paris and London has been staff turnover: Boris Johnson and his short-lived successor as prime minister, Liz Truss, were active Brexit banner-bearers, and Mr. u Sunak barely mentions it.
“Brexit has made things much worse. Nobody wants to go back to this psychodrama,” said the French official.
However, the return to normal life was much praised in the French press. French daily newspaper Parisian described their relationship as a “bromance”.
Le Figarowho interviewed Mr. Sunak said the site had finally addressed the “betrayal of AUKUS” and the “disturbing” era of Boris Johnson.
from le mond London correspondent Cécile Ducourtier noted that Franco-British relations could only improve after a “disgusting” period.