T. Belman. I also have been calling for the amalgamation of Russia into Europe. Since they are so dependant on each other, I thought it best that they come together so that Russia feels secure and Europe has a secure energy and food source. Makes sense to me. How to amalgamate can be negotiated. The same for covenants. THIS IS AN UNNECESSARY WAR.
By Angelique Chrisafis, GUARDIAN ,
‘I only ever defended the interests of France’: Marine Le Pen during the press conference in Paris. Photograph: Vincent Isore/Zuma/Rex/Shutterstoc
French far-right presidential candidate Marine Le Pen has said that once the Russia-Ukraine war is over, she would propose closer links between Nato and Russia and pull France out of the military command of the US-led alliance.
“As soon as the Russian-Ukrainian war is over and has been settled by a peace treaty, I will call for the implementation of a strategic rapprochement between NATO and Russia,” she said at a press conference.
Le Pen, who is polling at 45% to Emmanuel Macron’s 55% for the presidential runoff vote on 24 April, called the press conference on foreign policy to try to take the spotlight off her previous close relationship with Vladimir Putin, which has led to claims from Macron that she was “complacent” and “financially dependent” on the Kremlin.
Le Pen said any talk of her betraying French interests or being indebted to Putin was “inaccurate and particularly unjust”.
As she spoke, a protester stood up holding a heart-shaped picture of Le Pen and Putin shaking hands at the Kremlin in 2017. The protester was tackled to the ground by security guards and dragged out along the floor.
In 2014, Le Pen’s party – then called the Front National, and since renamed National Rally – borrowed €9m from a Russian-Czech bank for local election campaigns. It is still paying off the loan.
Five years ago when Le Pen also faced Macron in the 2017 runoff, which she lost heavily, Putin hosted her at the Kremlin, posing for a handshake.
At the time, Le Pen declared admiringly that she shared the same values as Putin and that a “new world order” was emerging with Putin, Donald Trump and her at the helm.
She has changed tack on Russia since the outbreak of war, condemning the invasion of Ukraine and saying she is independent of any foreign nation, and she has tried to shift attention on to the domestic price of sanctions, inflation, energy costs and the cost of living crisis.
At the press conference she said: “I only ever defended the interests of France.” She said her approach was very similar to Macron’s, since he had built up a personal relationship with Putin and pursued dialogue with him, inviting him to the Palace of Versailles and to his summer residence on the Mediterranean.
Le Pen said better ties with Russia would prevent Moscow from becoming too close to China, noting that she was echoing an argument made by Macron in the past.
On defence, Le Pen said: “I would place our troops neither under an integrated Nato command nor under a future European command,” adding that she would refuse any “subjection to an American protectorate”.
In the final weeks before what is expected to be a close vote, the pro-Europe Macron has savaged Le Pen on foreign policy grounds, attacking her for nationalism and friendships with rightwing leaders. He told a rally in Strasbourg this week that “nationalism is war”.
Le Pen has changed her policy on Europe from five years ago when she pushed for France to leave the EU and the euro. But Macron has said her proposed changes to treaties, dismantling of rules and cuts to budget contributions would mean France was pushed out of the EU.
“She wants to leave but she doesn’t dare say it,” Macron said, accusing his opponent of wanting to strike a special alliance with the right in Hungary and Poland. Le Pen took a loan from a Hungarian bank for the campaign, and told the press conference that French banks had refused to lend to her.
Le Pen said she did not want “Frexit” but a looser version of the EU. “Nobody is against Europe,” she said. “I would not stop paying France’s contribution to the EU, I want to diminish it.”
But she said the UK’s Brexit had been a big success. She said the French “ruling political class” had been proved wrong after it predicted a “cataclysm for the English”.
She said: “The British got rid of the Brussels bureaucracy, which they could never bear, to move to an ambitious project of global Britain.” But she added: “This is not our project. We want to reform the EU from the inside.”
Le Pen insisted she wanted to keep a close relationship with Germany, but then launched a stinging attack on their strategic differences, which she said would mean putting an end to a series of Franco-German joint military programmes.
She said she would continue “reconciliation” with Germany, “without following the Macron-Merkel model of French blindness towards Berlin”.
@Ketzel @Dinastar I am reminded of this hilarious Monty Python skit from the movie, “The Meaning of Life” in which Death comes for American and British tourists in the French countryside who have died. Death is French and hates them.
https://youtu.be/YoBTsMJ4jNk
@Dinastar
Do I need to explain? What anglo-saxons are on this blog? etc. As a francophile, I have to point out your provincialism. What is this economic prism? And we Anglo Saxons (lol) miss the complexities… You, sir, are a bigot.
@Ted
I think the US does this, too. Is this necessary? Can’t they just be quickly updated as professionals to the differences in procedure and rules and offered work in their own fields? Shouldn’t this be a major issue?
@Dinastar
Thanks for enlightening us. Where do you live now?
@Ted Belman – S.Zorn ; Zemmour however brilliant was too radical in his fight french identity and he left the economic chapters of the campaign to Ms Le Pen . Ms Le Pen will lose as usual . That’s her karma and that was the Job her father took from the ” Left ” President Mitterrand in the 80’s : to represent the french patriotism which once belonged to De Gaulle . With the 1992 Maastricht Treaty France identity declined into the grey-faceless-bureaucratic European Union ; and in 2002 the euro canceled the french sovereignty over its currency . These two radical reforms canceled slowly and surely french freedom of action . Gaullisme-Grandeur-Patrie -independent diplomacy were thrown away . Cleverly Mitterrand assigned the job of holding the empty bag of these concepts to Le Pen father , a loose head fascist . Since the Gaullist party had to approve these two european reforms it lost its identity and now has barely received 4% of the votes . Le Pen father garnered the discontents votes but has never offered a solution other that a return to the past . Now his daughter has taken this job , she looks more gentle , closer to the common people .
Some french Jews have made Aliya , despite Israel’s bureaucracy making obstacles to recognize their diplomas, titles, experiences. Maybe another 20,000 may decide to leave France for Israel . Some will move to Canada ,the bulk will remain whatever is the situation.
Dear Ted , I am french, graduate in Political Sciences ( Institut d’Etudes Politiques de Paris ) , Master in International Relations ( Université Paris Sorbonne ) and Public Law . Lawyer by training , and art expert by trade . You anglo-saxons do not view France as a universe of its own , with a specific culture and history. Your economic prism is insufficient , and you miss the complexities of the European Union mechanisms.
@Dinastar Melanchon is, indeed, a monster. I predict a mass exodus/aliya if he is elected. Israel should prepare to receive them.
@Ted I refuse to subscribe to Haaretz. Since you already subscribe, What does it say?
@Dinastar
You know a lot about French politics. Please give us you background.
@Ted ; Ms Le Pen has not a single chance in the present vote to contest Macron . Macron in the next five years will apply more pro-business policies ( he will move the age of pension from 60 to 65 ) and this will provoke clashes with strikes and demonstrations . Since the President is limited by Constitution to rule only two mandates , Macron will disappear in 2027. Will be left in the arena , Ms Le Pen or her niece Ms Marechal on the Far-Right ( not extreme-right ) against Mr Melenchon . The demographic surge of new french citizens from arab-african origin will weight for Mélenchon ( who can count right now on 30% of the voters when one add his 22% with extreme-left+communist+ecologist) ; my calculation for 2027 is Mélenchon at 35% in front of some far-right candidate at 30% . Then the center-right ( next Macron-like ) near or under 30% will have to make a deal with the far-right ( 30%). If the deal Center-right/Far right stumbles then you will see Melenchon elected .
By the way Ms Le Pen refrains from open antisemitism by political calculation, but she would always favor cold relations with Israel due to her anti-american credo . And her intimate friends circle is made of pro-Syria and pro-Iran operators ( clearly extreme-right violent goons ). So altogether Macron or his successor ( center-right ) is the only choice .
@Ted Clearly Zenmour is the only game in town but he’s already lost and badly.
https://www.israelhayom.com/2021/11/07/jewish-writer-who-could-become-french-president-says-there-will-never-be-a-palestinian-state/
“Macron urges Netanyahu to establish two states with Jerusalem as their capital
Associated Press
Published: 16.07.17, 18:24”
https://www.ynetnews.com/Ext/App/TalkBack/CdaViewOpenTalkBack/0,11382,L-4989977,00.html
@Ted Well, screw him. I don’t care what happens to France. I’m a political Zionist because I understand that the diaspora is a lost cause.
Le Pen just advocated that Jerusalem be divided between Jews and Arabs.
@Dinistar
Your comment is very informed. To think that much the the Melenchon vote will go to Le Penn is frightening even if you LePen herself is no longer antisemetic. These votes will yield much influence where ever they go.
Your concern that Europe will then be ruled by Germany and Russia with or without France is warranted.. Therefore in “amalgamating “Russia, much care must be taken..
Nevertheless I am suggesting that we (including Europe) are better off with Russia being in our camp than the Chinese one.
Israpundit should check more than twice its sources on Ms Le Pen. To publish a Guardian article is not very wise since the Guardian has always harshly attacked Israel from every angles . Anyway Ms Le Pen is nothing else than a weathercock , an opportunist who has no backbone , she is just running -like her father – to be the eternal loser of French politics. She says she would get out of NATO to get closer to Russia . Ok, then where that would lead France? Into the centuries old wars with Germany. And in such case Germany would be the one and only country to get into a strong alliance with Russia. She has not yet accepted that in a closely knit globalized economy France can’t make it alone, without the rest of the European countries.
The true problem is the governance of the European Union from Brussels, too powerful, deciding of 50% of the rules in Europe in a non democratic way, without any veto power from the European parliament. Also do start to think ahead of this 2022 presidential election which was cooked well before in 2017. It’s the same duel at the end and it will be the same winner as before. What is really worrying is the jump ahead of Melenchon. the communist-populist-third world champion who has garnered 22% ( just 2% behind Ms Le Pen ) . Mélenchon is red ( communist ) -green ( ecologist )- brown ( pro arab-african immigration ) . By demographic trend he will be the next president in 2027 . Ms Le Pen belongs to the past . Mélenchon is the real trouble coming .
That will not pass the US test!
Macron has the support of Germany and the US elitocracy!
And the WEF!