Marine Le Pen‘s French far-right party, National Rally, has quietly reversed its stance on fostering closer ties with Russia, just as the country gears up for its snap election.
The shift could signal a significant setback for Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has previously been supported by the party’s Russia-friendly policies.
The National Rally, which is poised to gain significant traction in the upcoming parliamentary elections on June 30 and July 7, recently scrubbed parts of its defence policy from its website.
These sections advocated for strengthening diplomatic relations with Russia, ending military collaboration with Germany, and withdrawing from NATO’s integrated command structure.
The move marks a departure from the party’s 2022 presidential campaign, where Marine Le Pen, the party leader, outlined extensive plans to distance France from Washington while aligning more closely with Moscow.
Her manifesto highlighted that Washington “does not always behave as an ally to France,” and proposed seeking “an alliance with Russia on certain issues,” including European security and counter-terrorism.
The removed document also called for an immediate exit from NATO’s integrated military command and a cessation of joint military projects with Germany due to “a deep and irreconcilable doctrinal, operational and industrial divergence with Berlin.” These projects included plans for next-generation battle tanks and fighter jets.
In a bid to enhance its international credibility, the National Rally has moderated some of its more contentious positions in recent months.
For instance, in March, party lawmakers abstained from voting on military aid to Ukraine, a stark contrast to the left-wing France Unbowed party, which voted against it. Furthermore, Jordan Bardella, the National Rally’s president and prospective prime minister, suggested delaying any decision to leave NATO’s integrated command until after the Ukraine war ends.
The party’s 2024 European election platform no longer echoes the earlier proposals, instead condemning Russia for “violating international law and provoking a revision of the international order.”
Recently, the National Rally has also reconsidered some of its costliest economic proposals, likely in response to market concerns about the prospect of the far-right gaining power in France. This strategic pivot away from previously staunch positions may reflect an effort to present a more palatable image to the electorate and international observers alike.