Emmanuel Macron, the first foreign leader received at 10 Downing Street, and the new British Prime Minister Andy Burnham displayed, on Thursday, their desire to strengthen ties between France and the United Kingdom, with the Bayeux tapestry as a symbol of a new dynamic.

Published on: 03/09/2026 - 09:33 Modified on: 03/09/2026 - 21:39

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The day after a first meeting around the Bayeux tapestry, loaned by France to the United Kingdom, the new British Prime Minister Andy Burnham and French President Emmanuel Macron displayed, Thursday September 3, in London, their desire to give new impetus to the Franco-British relationship.

The loan to the British Museum for one year of this thousand-year-old embroidery "shows what our collaboration can achieve", said the Labor head of government at the start of the interview, stressing that this is the first foreign leader he has welcomed to 10 Downing Street.

Read alsoThe loan of the Bayeux tapestry, “precious symbol of trust”, says King Charles III

Alongside the one he described as the "nearest neighbor" and "very important friend", Andy Burnham also spoke of a positive outcome of their cooperation "on Ukraine", on the fight against crossings of the Channel by migrants on "small boats", and "on the strengthening of the relationship between the United Kingdom and the EU".

Emmanuel Macron also considered that the loan of the famous tapestry was “the best demonstration of this very special relationship between our two countries”.

"Difficult subjects"

“I am here with the desire and the commitment to bring us even closer,” insisted the French president, before an interview followed by a lunch in the presence of their wives.

Before a crucial next summit between the EU and the United Kingdom expected by the end of the year, this rapprochement is at the top of the agenda for this first meeting.

Questioned Wednesday evening by journalists, the British Prime Minister said he wanted to build on "what was accomplished" in this area by his predecessor Keir Starmer, also Labor, whom he succeeded in July.

"I think, ten years after Brexit, people here have had enough of the divisions. They see that we need to work more closely together," he said.

However, he stressed that there were "difficult subjects" on which he hoped to "find together a way to overcome" the obstacles, citing the EU plan to support the "made in Europe" industry, which he said could have "repercussions on the British steel industry".

“Even if we do not always agree on everything, we respect each other (...) and remain open to discussion on all subjects, including the relaunch of relations between the United Kingdom and the European Union,” Emmanuel Macron, for his part, commented in his speech at the British Museum.

Paris wants to prevent London from doing "cherry-picking", in other words that the British only retain from the European internal market what benefits them.

The fight against the crossing of the Channel by migrants on small boats is also a priority subject for London.

The British government, which this summer recorded the lowest number of migrant arrivals since 2019, welcomed the success of its agreement with France, renewed for three years in April, and Andy Burnham pleaded to “achieve even more”.

Mega canoes

In order to prevent the crossing of "mega-canoes", like the one which recently carried 230 people on board, a team of 45 people must soon be deployed on the coasts of north-west France, i.e. "almost tripling" of resources in this area, Downing Street said in a press release.

Another subject on the menu: strengthening aid to Ukraine as winter approaches, at a time when Russian drone and ballistic missile attacks are intensifying and causing a growing number of civilian victims.

Andy Burnham made his first visit to kyiv on August 24, for a meeting of the Coalition of the Willing - the group of countries supporting Ukraine, which the United Kingdom co-leads with France.

During his visit to the British Museum, the French president, who will end his term in May, said he hoped that his country and the United Kingdom could “weave a bond as close as the threads” of “thousand-year-old embroidery”.

Also present, King Charles III, accompanied by Queen Camilla, expressed "particular joy" at the sight of this work, the loan of which constitutes "a precious symbol of confidence".

With AFP

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