Determined to lower France's contribution to the EU budget, Marine Le Pen says she expects "a standoff" with the European Commission and the leaders of other member states if she is elected, she said Wednesday in an interview with the Financial Times. She also calls into question the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, who according to her “no longer has the confidence of many governments”.
The head of the National Rally, favorite in the polls, is preparing the ground as she goes to Brussels this Wednesday evening for a meeting with her European allies from the Patriots group. A usual meeting before each summit of EU heads of state and government - Thursday and Friday in the Belgian capital.
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The nationalist leader intends for the occasion to mark her opposition to the multiannual EU budget, which the Commission intends to have adopted before the end of the year, while national elections are expected in the coming months in Spain, France, Italy and Poland. A calendar “revealing contempt for democratic processes in Europe”, judges Marine Le Pen, who targets in particular Ursula von der Leyen, whom she “considers no longer has the confidence of many governments within the European Union”. Way of establishing a balance of power with an adversary whom she wishes, if not to revoke, at least to force to accept her conditions. Starting with a strong reduction in the French contribution to the EU budget, which the candidate for the Élysée made one of the pillars of her savings plan presented last week.
“The hand that gives is always above the one that receives”
But it is not only the agreement of the European Commission that Marine Le Pen will need, it will also be that of the other Member States, the multiannual financial framework being adopted unanimously by the 27 Member States. “When we say (that) we are going to lower the net contribution to the European Union, we know that there is a debate, and a firm debate, and even a showdown to be waged. With the European Union, we do not say: “We snap our fingers and presto, we decide that…”. We are absolutely aware of it, but the fact remains that we have this desire and that we are convinced that we will succeed,” she declared to the Financial Times – which transmitted to AFP certain full quotes, not published in its articles.
To win her case, the favorite of the polls has already suggested recently that she was concretely considering cutting payments to the EU, emphasizing that “the hand that gives is always above the one that receives”. Marine Le Pen, however, certified that she “does not want at all” for France to leave the European Union. “I am absolutely convinced of our ability to reason with the European Commission, with the help of a whole series of other governments.”
“I will stop funding to Ukraine because we can’t anymore”
The figure of the National Rally was also questioned about European aid to Ukraine, which continues four years after the start of the Russian invasion. “I said very clearly that within six months of coming to power, I will stop funding to Ukraine because we can no longer. We have to be honest with Mr. Zelensky. We have to warn him in fact, we have to tell him “Listen here we are, we can’t do it anymore, we can’t do it anymore”. There we have already made 90 billion in loans, 90 billion is 18 billion for France. 18 billion is absolutely considerable.”
She took the opportunity to draw a parallel with Donald Trump, who is seeking to reduce American funding to kyiv. “It’s not easy, but I’m trying to put myself in Donald Trump’s shoes. He’s still a somewhat confusing character for a French person. You see, it was already a little confusing sometimes for an American, for a Frenchman, even more so! But the fact remains that I can understand that the Americans say to themselves: “The European Union is giving us moral lessons and saying that we must impose sanctions on energy, when in reality, they themselves are not applying the sanctions that they have demanded”,” she says, in reference to the importation of gas from Russia.
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Asked about the question of her possible election, Marine Le Pen said she was “convinced that there is a real desire to close a parenthesis, which is a parenthesis of the last forty years, which have seen in reality, more or less, the same policies being applied, the same desires of the French being denied, the same aspirations being made inaudible.” The leader of the RN would, however, prefer to be elected in the second round against a candidate other than Jean-Luc Mélenchon, while the polls give her the hands down winner in this configuration. “To be elected against Jean-Luc Mélenchon is to be elected, there is no discussion. You are legitimate, you were elected but there is undoubtedly a part of the vote that would go to us, which would be a vote against. Against Jean-Luc Mélenchon. And I want a vote for it. I need this vote in favor, because the changes that I want to bring about in the country need to be truly pushed, carried by a majority of the French people,” she insisted to the Financial Times.
