Marin Le Pen has quite a tough task – to change its image to the extent that it mobilizes significantly more people as in the current European elections, but rather too early to start preparing for the next parliamentary and presidential elections in France. We have seen that Macron has also started his campaign in one way or another for these elections, even though they are almost 2 years away.
This is what Prof. Zdravko Popov, president of the Institute for Public Policy, told the BNR.
According to him, it is more likely to think about the impossibility of realizing the great program of the "National Assembly" and to Marine Le Pen personally, if she makes such compromises.
She should also clean up past stains, such as her good friendship with the Kremlin, Prof. Popov added. And continued his comment:
"As time passed, she felt that she could not achieve her great goal, namely the President of France, and a large majority in Parliament, including the EP, and began to clear away her idols and her shadows that she had accumulated." ;.
In the EP, you need a strong partner for bigger reforms, noted Prof. Zdravko Popov.
Giorgia Meloni's behavior in the election campaign was one thing, as prime minister is another, he also pointed out and added that she has adopted Italy's national tasks:
"As she spoke against the Eurozone and that she would take Italy out of the Eurozone, today she does not say a word about it. It is clearly and categorically pro-Ukraine, anti-Russia. There is already a much more moderate policy towards migrants. Radically against illegal migrants, but at the same time – defender of the need for labor for Italy, the need to select migrant communities. In her time, now – since she's been prime minister, as many migrants have entered in one year as there weren't before she came on board.
In his words, she wants to participate in this reform of the EU's migration policy in a new way. Her behavior is that of a statesman, Prof. Popov is categorical and added that Le Pen also wants to be thought of as a statesman.
"That's why they are entering the mainstream little by little. They take something from the mainstream so that they don't seem too absurd, paradoxical and negative towards the mainstream, but somehow manage to master it, keeping the main cores of their ideological causes and goals.
Prof. Zdravko Popov expressed his opinion that the debate about what the EU should look like has been renewed again in the last 10 years due to a certain weakness of the leadership and management of the Union.
"This dispute has been reopened. We see it as a huge debate about the future of Europe. It involves various leaders. This situation, I think, will be reflected in the proportions in the EP. Both right-wing and far-right, conservative and reformist parties are not anti-European – rather, they have a different understanding of the future of Europe. No one renounces the civilizational function of Europe and the civilizational mission of Europe in the world".
According to him, pro-Europeanism exists as a leading trend, but it has different models.
In his words, a big problem today is whether the younger generations perceive the narrative that was created for the integration of Europe after the Second World War as their own:
"Is he attractive enough and does he inspire them to join or is he already old fashioned for them. And shouldn't a new narrative be made that responds significantly more adequately to the aspirations of the young generation of Europe. This is a battle for the young generation.