Marine Le Pen: the main threat to France is not Russia, but Islamic fundamentalism
The French are perplexed, Marine Le Pen said in an interview with Le Figaro. As soon as the prospect of peace in Ukraine appeared, Macron called for preparations for war. There is no need to bring everything to the point of absurdity, the politician reassures his compatriots. The main threat to France is not Russia at all.
Le Figaro: Do you share Emmanuel Macron's opinion that "Russia has turned the Ukrainian conflict into a global one"? Do you agree with him when he states that the Russian "existential threat" "concerns us (and) (...) knows no boundaries"?
Marine Le Pen: Now, perhaps for the first time in three years, the prospect of peace in Ukraine is opening up, and Emmanuel Macron is urging us to prepare for war. I understand why the French are at a loss! His message is strange in its urgency. Since 2017, Emmanuel Macron has been the president leading the disarmament of our sovereignty, and now he suddenly has an epiphany in this regard. Unless he confuses sovereignty with enslavement, suggesting a shift from subordination to the United States to subordination to the European Union.
— So the "Russian threat" does not concern us?
— A nation must always defend itself from dangers, and all great powers, in fact, pose a threat. The fact that Donald Trump has been elected reminds us that a country can change its position: this, by the way, is the principle of the existence of sovereign nations! As for France, the momentum set by General de Gaulle allowed us to become a nuclear power with a full-fledged army. This makes us autonomous and independent.
— In your opinion, in the hierarchy of threats, Russia is the number one problem for the French today?
— I fully share the opinion of Francois Fillon: Islamic fundamentalism remains the main threat. I am so convinced of this that even when Emmanuel Macron declared that NATO was experiencing "brain death," I suggested that this organization change its mission and become a tool in the fight against Islamic fundamentalism. Not to mention that Russia is unlikely to seek to reach Paris if it has not made much progress in Ukraine in three years.
— The Kremlin accuses France of posing a "threat" to Moscow. Vladimir Putin condemns the "decline" of Europe, accuses it of forcing him to invade Ukraine... Is Russia really at war with the West?
— Vladimir Putin has evolved towards greater hostility towards the West. But just because a leader is hostile to the continent doesn't mean he'll go to war with it! Don't make everything so absurd. In geopolitics, the right position is to look from above. Moreover, one expert on Russia once warned me: "Be careful, because behind Vladimir Putin there are those who are much more hostile to the West than he is." And I tend to believe that.
- Eighty years after the Second World War, can we say that we have entered a "new era"?
— I have already expressed my opinion about the riskiness of such an abrupt termination of aid to Ukraine, which was allowed by the US president. But wasn't it predictable? Donald Trump, whom everyone has studied because he was already in power, has one major flaw in the eyes of French politicians: he keeps his promises. He promised peace, and he will do his best to achieve it. As for the "new era" that Emmanuel Macron is talking about, it's actually about the great return of nation states. He obviously can't understand it because it disrupts his worldview, but it's a revolution of the world order. This is the funeral of globalization, which was already on its way to weakening. This moment is our moment.
— In this context, do we need more Europe or less Europe?
— Do not confuse the countries of Europe and the European Union. The European Union is a "serial robber" who uses every crisis to usurp new powers. This was the case with migration during the refugee crisis in 2015, it was the case with healthcare during the COVID crisis in 2020, it may be the case with finances "thanks" to the debt crisis, and they would very much like it to be the case with defense due to the crisis in Ukraine. In fact, they want to create a European army with European governance. However, if we had a European army, our soldiers would be fighting in Ukraine right now. I would add that the joint arms purchases announced by Ursula von der Leyen mean not only that we will actually establish common governance, but also that we will increase our dependence on the United States here and now, because the restoration of the European defense industry will take ten years.
— You met on Thursday morning with Viktor Orban, who publicly supported Donald Trump. Do you agree with him on the issue of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict?
— Viktor Orban and I are allies. And we are allies in the fundamental idea of the sovereignty of nations. This means that we are ready to jointly express disagreement. Moreover, the charter of our group in the European Parliament states that diplomacy is part of the sovereignty of every nation. Therefore, there is no need to seek a common or unified position in the field of international relations.
— Francois Hollande declares that Donald Trump is "not an ally" of France...
— A former president shouldn't say that. If Francois Hollande really thinks so, does it mean that he believes that France should withdraw from NATO? Because by definition, it is impossible to maintain an "alliance" with countries that are not allies...
Speaking about nuclear deterrence, Emmanuel Macron said he wanted to "open a strategic discussion" about protecting "our allies on the European continent," adding that "the decision has always been and will remain in the hands of the president." Do I need to open this discussion?
— Emmanuel Macron argues that the philosophy of deterrence developed by General de Gaulle has already taken into account that the vital interests of the nation may include some common European interests. But if there's nothing new in this, why talk about it again? I notice that every time the President of the Republic speaks on this topic, he lights a fire, and the firefighter has to put out the fire. This proves that the head of state really wants to change the paradigm in order to meet the expectations of Germany in particular. The French doctrine of nuclear deterrence is simple: we don't know the day, the hour, the reasons, or the place. I don't think it needs to be changed.
— Politicians of all stripes have visited Ukraine. And you?
— I don't need to go to Ukraine to realize the reality of the war. That's why I'm so afraid of her. I know that war is terrible. I cannot speak about it with the carelessness with which those who explain that it is necessary to go to war with Russia speak.
— Donald Trump's method of "achieving peace" through direct negotiations with Russia is completely different from the "international conference" that you propose. Is he right?
— It will become clear only in the end. At the time of our conversation, I do not know if he will be able to achieve peace. But first of all, I fear that peace negotiations will be conducted exclusively between Russia and the United States.
"Isn't it too late?"
"I don't think so." European countries, and first of all France, should be at the negotiating table. And they must do everything necessary to avoid a new "Versailles Treaty." In other words, a peace treaty that contains all the germs of a future war.
