London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Oct 27, 2025

Sunak and Macron: A bankers’ bromance

Sunak and Macron: A bankers’ bromance

A new UK prime minister and a deal on cross-Channel migration could herald a reset in Anglo-French relations.

After years — some might say centuries — of bitter feuding, love may finally be blossoming across the English Channel.

It’s still early days in the courting process, but senior officials in both Britain and France are daring to hope that a new Entente Cordiale may be forged between Rishi Sunak and Emmanuel Macron in the weeks and months ahead.

Any modern-day dating app worth its salt would match them immediately. Two slick, wealthy, diminutive investment bankers in their early 40s, with penchants for power, pragmatism and the politics of the center-right. Surely, their top officials whisper, these guys are bound to get along?

“They can compare the size of their bonuses!” joked a senior EU diplomat, noting Sunak’s former life at Goldman Sachs and Macron’s history at Rothschild.

The early signs are good. The all-important first date appeared to go well — a bilateral meeting on the margins of the United Nations COP27 climate change conference in Egypt last week. Macron was sufficiently charmed to invite Sunak back to Paris, just before Christmas, for a conference in support of Ukrainian civil society. Playing hard to get, Sunak has yet to formally respond.

The pair will meet again this week, this time upon the beautiful beaches of Bali, a stunning tropical backdrop for what may prove to be a challenging G20 summit, given the global backdrop. The first formal Anglo-French summit in five years is being planned for early next year.

And on Monday the two sides unveiled a long-awaited deal on cross-Channel migration, after months of diplomatic stalemate under Britain’s previous leadership.

What’s clear is that after a long, tumultuous period following Britain’s decision to leave the EU in 2016, both governments hope to seize the chance for a fresh start provided by Sunak’s arrival in No. 10 Downing Street.

“Sometimes we have been hostages — on both sides — to domestic politics, but our strategic interests are aligned and our response capacities are similar,” a French diplomat said. Thus far, he added, bilateral conversations have been “positive.”

A senior official in the U.K. Foreign Office who knows both men said they were confident the relationship will work.

“It’s not surprising that they would get on,” the U.K. official said. “They are two of Europe’s youngest, freshest leaders and both think that our countries should be working together given the world we’re in. That’s our respective national interests.”

Jean-Pierre Jouyet, a former French ambassador to the U.K., believes the two men’s past careers as bankers and finance ministers will aid mutual understanding.

“The relationship can work, because they’ve had similar paths, they see the markets in a similar way — and because Macron is a lot more right-wing than he was five years ago,” Jouyet said. “They are familiar with the same financial circles — the circles that backed Macron [for president.]”


Friend or foe?


Upon taking office in October, Sunak was determined to draw a line under the hostilities between Macron and his two predecessors as U.K. prime minister, Liz Truss and Boris Johnson. Johnson and Macron had frequently clashed, while Truss infamously replied that “the jury is out” when asked if Macron was Britain’s friend or foe.

In Sunak’s first private phone call with Macron after becoming PM, on October 28, he “stressed the importance he places on the U.K.’s relationship with France — our neighbour and ally,” according to a Downing Street read-out of the call.

In fact, a government official with direct knowledge of the phone call suggested Sunak made the classic first-date mistake of being a little too eager to please.

Sunak “just so obviously wanted to make it work, it was all a bit desperate,” the official grimaced. “He went straight in there at the start and was like — ‘I just want to say, I see you as a friend, alright? A friend, ok?’ And then he kept coming back to it again and again later. ‘A friend. A friend.’

“In a way I thought Truss’ no-nonsense approach [to Macron] was more effective. It showed how inexperienced [Sunak] is at this.”

If Macron appeared non-plussed by Sunak’s gushing approach, there is no doubt Paris senses an opportunity to reset relations.

Upon taking office, Rishi Sunak was determined to reset relations with France


What Sunak brings above all is “good will,” said Alexandre Holroyd, a French lawmaker for Macron’s Renaissance party who represents French citizens in the U.K., northern Europe and the Baltic states.

“Under Boris Johnson, the relationship hit rock bottom because he did not want to move forward with the French on anything,” he said. “The first thing Rishi Sunak said was that he wanted to relaunch the relationship … there’s a real opportunity.”

A senior French envoy said it’s too early to be sure how relations may evolve, but pointed to Macron’s offer last week to host the British prime minister in the first quarter of 2023 — the first formal Anglo-French summit since Macron met Theresa May in early 2018. A second French diplomat said officials are still agreeing the agenda, but that Paris believes the meeting can yield tangible outcomes.


Befriending the ‘kingmaker’


There is much for the two sides to discuss. Illegal cross-Channel migration; energy security; and the ongoing row about the implementation of the Brexit agreement all loom large.

On Brexit, the mood music is increasingly positive. The EU diplomat quoted above said Sunak — despite having voted Leave in 2016, unlike his predecessor Truss — is seen across Europe as solutions-focused, rather than as an “opportunist” who belatedly jumped on the Brexit bandwagon to further his career.

Officials on both sides are cautiously hopeful a deal on the Northern Ireland protocol can be done by the spring — ideally in time for the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement, when U.S. President Joe Biden is expected to fly in.

Cross-Channel migration remains a thorny issue, but a deal on closer working to combat smuggling gangs is hoped to be just the first step in a broader partnership, following successful talks between Sunak and Macron in Egypt.

On energy, the U.K.’s low gas storage capacity makes it reliant upon European partners to send back energy resources in times of need, meaning a diplomatic scramble is underway ahead of what looks like a challenging winter ahead.

Two diplomats from energy-rich European countries said British officials have approached their governments asking for reassurances that they will not halt gas and electricity supplies to the U.K. in the event of shortages this winter, amid fears London might not be able to rely on French energy exports as before.

A reboot of the relationship looks in the interests of both sides.

Jean-Louis Thiériot, a French MP for Les Républicains party, suggested Macron will be keen to boost ties with Downing Street given the difficulties in his relationship with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. Other diplomats say Macron is simply keen to resolve the multiple outstanding issues in Anglo-French relations.

For Sunak, a close relationship with Paris will prove essential to solve Brexit-related challenges, the EU envoy quoted above said, because of the influence the French president exerts over the European Commission. It was Macron, the diplomat noted, who played a key role in installing Ursula von der Leyen as Commission president in 2019, and the pair remain in close contact.

“Be in no doubt,” the diplomat said. In Europe, “Macron remains the kingmaker.”

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
U.S. and China Near Deal to Avert Rare-Earth Export Controls Ahead of Trump-Xi Summit
Justin time: Justin Herbert Shields Madison Beer with Impressive Reflex at Lakers Game
Russia’s President Putin Declares Burevestnik Nuclear Cruise Missile Ready for Deployment
Giuffre’s Memoir Alleges Maxwell Claimed Sexual Act with Clooney
House Republicans Move to Strip NYC Mayoral Front-Runner Zohran Mamdani of U.S. Citizenship
Record-High Spoiled Ballots Signal Voter Discontent in Ireland’s 2025 Presidential Election
Philippines’ Taal Volcano Erupts Overnight with 2.4 km Ash Plume
Albania’s Virtual AI 'Minister' Diella Set to 'Birth' Eighty-Three Digital Assistants for MPs
Tesla Unveils Vision for Optimus V3 as ‘Biggest Product of All Time’, Including Surgical Capabilities
Francis Ford Coppola Auctions Luxury Watches After Self-Financed Film Flop
Convicted Sex Offender Mistakenly Freed by UK Prison Service Arrested in London
United States and China Begin Constructive Trade Negotiations Ahead of Trump–Xi Summit
U.S. Treasury Sanctions Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro over Drug-Trafficking Allegations
Miss USA Crowns Nebraska’s Audrey Eckert Amid Leadership Overhaul
‘I Am Not Done’: Kamala Harris Signals Possible 2028 White House Run
NBA Faces Integrity Crisis After Mass Arrests in Gambling Scandal
Swift Heist at the Louvre Sees Eight French Crown Jewels Stolen in Under Seven Minutes
U.S. Halts Trade Talks with Canada After Ontario Ad Using Reagan Voice Triggers Diplomatic Fallout
Microsoft AI CEO: ‘We’re making an AI that you can trust your kids to use’ — but can Microsoft rebuild its own trust before fixing the industry’s?
China and Russia Deploy Seductive Espionage Networks to Infiltrate U.S. Tech Sector
Apple’s ‘iPhone Air’ Collapses After One Month — Another Major Misstep for the Tech Giant
Graham Potter Begins New Chapter as Sweden Head Coach on Short-Term Deal
Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa Alleges Poison Plot via Chocolate and Jam
Lakestar to Halt External Fundraising as Investor in Revolut and Spotify
U.S. Innovation Ranking Under Scrutiny as China Leads Output Outputs but Ranks 10th
Three Men Arrested in London on Suspicion of Spying for Russia
Porsche Reverses EV Strategy as New CEO Bets on Petrol and Hybrids
Singapore’s Prime Minister Warns of ‘Messy’ Transition to Post-American Global Order
Andreessen Horowitz Sets Sights on Ten-Billion-Dollar Fund for Tech Surge
US Administration Under President Donald Trump Reportedly Lifts Ban on Ukraine’s Use of Storm Shadow Missiles Against Russia
‘Frightening’ First Night in Prison for Sarkozy: Inmates Riot and Shout ‘Little Nicolas’
White House Announces No Imminent Summit Between Trump and Putin
US and Qatar Warn EU of Trade and Energy Risks from Tough Climate Regulation
Apple Challenges EU Digital Markets Act Crackdown in Landmark Court Battle
Nicolas Sarkozy begins five-year prison term at La Santé in Paris
Japan stocks surge to record as Sanae Takaichi becomes Prime Minister
This Is How the 'Heist of the Century' Was Carried Out at the Louvre in Seven Minutes: France Humiliated as Crown with 2,000 Diamonds Vanishes
China Warns UK of ‘Consequences’ After Delay to London Embassy Approval
France’s Wealthy Shift Billions to Luxembourg and Switzerland Amid Tax and Political Turmoil
"Sniper Position": Observation Post Targeting 'Air Force One' Found Before Trump’s Arrival in Florida
Shouting Match at the White House: 'Trump Cursed, Threw Maps, and Told Zelensky – "Putin Will Destroy You"'
Windows’ Own ‘Siri’ Has Arrived: You Can Now Talk to Your Computer
Thailand and Singapore Investigate Cambodian-Based Prince Group as U.S. and U.K. Sanctions Unfold
‘No Kings’ Protests Inflate Numbers — But History Shows Nations Collapse Without Strong Executive Power
Chinese Tech Giants Halt Stablecoin Launches After Beijing’s Regulatory Intervention
Manhattan Jury Holds BNP Paribas Liable for Enabling Sudanese Government Abuses
Trump Orders Immediate Release of Former Congressman George Santos After Commuting Prison Sentence
S&P Downgrades France’s Credit Rating, Citing Soaring Debt and Political Instability
Ofcom Rules BBC’s Gaza Documentary ‘Materially Misleading’ Over Narrator’s Hamas Ties
Diane Keaton’s Cause of Death Revealed as Pneumonia, Family Confirms
×