Le Pen, a declared fan President of Russia, despite Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine since last February 24, extreme right tried change costume links between the two. Still, his sympathy for Russian President Vladimir Putin does not seem to have caught up with him in the elections, despite Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. In the second round of the presidential elections, the far-right Marine Le Pen will face the current French president, Emmanuel Macron. The leader of the National Regrouping party has outdone himself in percentage of votes compared to the results of the first round of 2017 (23.4% in 2022, compared to 22.07% in 2017).
The history of this relationship between Le Pen and Putin goes back many years. 2014The party’s candidate, called the National Front (a party founded by his father, Jean-Marie Le Pen), Russian bank subordinate to Kremlin to finance the municipal election campaign. Specifically, the banking organization First Czech Russian Bank (FCRB) – then based in Moscow and now closed – contributed. 9 million euro to the far-right formation.
After receiving this funding, that year – in March – the Russian Federation signed an agreement. unilaterally annexed peninsula Crimea -The territory belonging to Ukraine-. The international community, including the European Union, did not recognize the union and imposed sanctions on Russia.
Meeting with Putin
Again, Le Pen supported the annexation He stated that he and Crimea “strongly disagreed that there was an illegal annexation”. “A referendum was held and the inhabitants of Crimea Chose to rejoin Russia“, the far-right argued in an interview.
A few years later, in 2017Le Pen went to Moscow Meeting with Putin The Kremlin is in the middle of that year’s campaign for the French presidential election. Le Pen assured that “a new world has emerged in recent years” in a meeting with Putin, one of the few world leaders to have accepted him, along with the presidents of Lebanon and Chad. vladimir putin’s worldDonald Trump’s world in the United States, [Narendra] Modi in India,” he said.
Likewise, at the meeting where several photos between the two were made public, Le Pen reiterated it. annexation support He showed it to the Crimea and Reaction to the measures taken against Russia In fact, imposed by the European Union, Russia told the president he would “think”. remove sanctions Pretty quickly if he gets elected president in France”. After several pro-Russian statements about Crimea, Ukraine announced Forbids Le Pen from entering in the country.
Changes in Ukraine after the war
However, at the end of February, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and Le Pen tried hide all these links. In fact, it reached remove brochures from the campaign to the French presidential election A photo with PutinFilmed at their meeting in the Kremlin in 2017.
In this sense, with the war in Ukraine, the far right has become a “middle” position He added that although he assures that “not everything is black and white” in the current war crisis, his intention has always been. condemn the invasion Ukraine “in the clearest possible way” as it was an armed attackunacceptable“.
Although this time it showed in favor of sanctions Le Pen, imposed on Russia, positioned itself against raw material embargobecause he thinks it will have “terrible consequences for the French and the world”.
The return of Le Pen
Although Le Pen wanted to distance himself from Russia in the war, he also expressed the following in order to reduce the tension in the war: Ukraine must make concessions Moscow’s demands to resign to enter OTAN.
Likewise, the far-right candidate changed his stance on the arrival of refugees. In particular, after receiving Afghanistan By the Taliban and with many people fleeing the country, Le Pen suggested establishing cities of refuge in neighboring countries. it would be “disaster” to host them in France. But with war Ukraine Le Pen approved France Open your arms For all Ukrainians who have fled their country.
Therefore, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is a deliver statements Le Pen’s praise shameless autocrat Putin try unlink with the Kremlin of the collective imagination to avoid harm.