Marine Le Pen asserts that the primary threat to France is not Russia, but rather Islamic fundamentalism, a stance she supports with historical context and recent geopolitical observations. In an interview with Le Figaro, she criticized President Emmanuel Macron’s urgent call for military preparedness despite emerging peace prospects in Ukraine, suggesting it reflects an inconsistency in his policy on national sovereignty. Le Pen concurs with François Fillon that the focus should shift to combating ideological extremism rather than portraying Russia as an existential threat, especially since Russia has shown limited aggression towards France directly. She underscores France’s nuclear capabilities as a means of maintaining autonomy and independence within global power dynamics. Furthermore, Le Pen expresses skepticism about the European Union’s expansion of military powers, warning that it may inadvertently heighten dependence on the U.S. and delay rejuvenation of European defense industries. Her alignment with Viktor Orban on national sovereignty highlights a growing consensus among certain European leaders on prioritizing national interests over EU directives. Ultimately, Le Pen’s perspective underscores a pivotal debate in French and European politics: the necessity of defining true threats to national security and the implications of transnational governance on military autonomy.
