Marine Le Pen and the leader of the “National Assembly“ Jordan Bardella issued an unusually strong joint statement against Moscow, in which they said that Russia cannot “directly or indirectly“ dictate French policy through intimidation, threats, destabilization or psychological pressure. The position was published on Saturday, September 19, after a meeting at the Elysee Palace dedicated to the international situation and the risks to France's security.
In their statement, Le Pen and Bardella stressed that “no provocation, covert operation or destabilizing action“ could make France easier to achieve Russian military goals in Ukraine. At the same time, they maintain their position that the size and conditions of French financial assistance to Kiev should remain a subject of domestic political debate.
The two separately condemned Moscow's decision to place the Russian businesses of European companies, including Nestlé and Auchan, under temporary administration. They described this as a “hostile act“ that affects the interests and rights of European businesses. The decision on the assets of the two companies was made by decree of Vladimir Putin, and their management was temporarily transferred to the Russian L.E.V. Management.
Le Pen and Bardella's position comes a day after French President Emmanuel Macron gathered the leaders of the parliamentaryly represented political forces for a briefing on the war in Ukraine, the conflict in the Middle East east and threats to national security. After the meeting, Macron said that in recent weeks Russian hybrid threats against Europe and France have intensified.
The French president ordered the government to prepare a plan to protect critical infrastructure and sensitive defense industry facilities against cyberattacks and drone attacks. Paris points to the broader risk and actions that French authorities associate with Russian structures. Moscow traditionally rejects accusations of organizing hybrid operations against European countries.