EU diplomats cautiously court Nigel Farage
The veteran Brexiteer is being taken seriously as his party gathers in Birmingham.
European diplomats are cautiously engaging with Nigel Farage’s Reform UK party as the far-right group holds its annual conference in Birmingham, England. For the first time, Germany, Italy, and Spain have dispatched officials to attend the gathering. EU diplomats view this as a strategic move to better understand Reform UK’s policies and ambitions, as well as to establish contact without elevating diplomatic relations to the highest level.
Several EU countries are sending representatives, including Denmark, Norway, Finland, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Ireland, the Netherlands, Poland, and Romania. However, France has chosen not to send diplomats to this year’s conference. Reform UK’s stance on unwinding the "reset" deals negotiated by the current UK government with Brussels, as well as renegotiating trade deals and migrant returns, has strained relations with the EU.
Reform UK has also expressed a willingness to revisit the EU settled status for welfare claimants and student loans for foreign nationals. Despite a decline in public support, Reform UK remains closely matched with the governing Labour party in recent polls.
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