At the Height of Putin’s Aggression, Marine Le Pen Victory Would Threaten European Alliances – By Murtaza Hussain (The Intercept) / April 16, 2022
The far-right French presidential candidate has a warm relationship with Vladimir Putin and is skeptical of the EU and NATO.
THE OUTCOME OF France’s upcoming presidential vote is gearing up to have a major impact on European security at a time when the continent finds itself back at war. The runoff vote, scheduled for April 24, pits the incumbent centrist President Emmanuel Macron against far-right challenger Marine Le Pen, whose National Rally party stands near the precipice of coming to power for the first time in its history.
Le Pen, well known for her unfavorable views on immigrants and minorities in France, has made nativism a core campaign message. What may end up being even more consequential for the future of the entire continent, though, is Le Pen’s warm relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin: the man responsible for igniting the worst conflict in Europe since the collapse of the former Yugoslavia.
Since Putin launched his brutal and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine two months ago, France has been a stalwart member of the coalition against Russia. Under Macron, it has helped build the international sanctions regime against Russia and participated in supporting Ukraine’s defense through NATO. If Le Pen, whose hostility to the European Union and sympathy with Putin are a matter of public record, comes to office, those initiatives are likely to be rolled back.
CONTINUE > https://theintercept.com/2022/04/16/france-election-marine-le-pen-europe/
