The far-right leader stopped short of threatening to roll back Emmanuel Macron’s new nuclear doctrine.
PARIS — Far-right leader Marine Le Pen said France’s European allies must buy French equipment if they want to benefit from the protection of Paris’ nuclear deterrent.
Speaking two days after President Emmanuel Macron announced major changes to France’s nuclear doctrine, including the potential temporary deployment of nuclear-capable fighter jets to European allies, Le Pen said in an interview with RTL radio that she “didn’t see the point” of such a deployment.
Le Pen then added: “I will tell our allies OK to geographical deployment but then there must be something in return,” including “the purchase of French equipment.”
“To go and put our nuclear weapons in countries that are buying American F-35 … there is a major contradiction there,” she said.
The possible fighter jet deployment was one element of Macron’s push to enhance nuclear cooperation with partners. He also announced France would conduct joint nuclear drills, but insisted that the final control of whether to launch nuclear weapons would remain firmly in the hands of the French president, who will also continue alone to define the country’s so-called vital interests.
The far right had for months accused Macron of mulling a surrender of France’s sovereignty over its nuclear arsenal, after he opened the door to strategic nuclear cooperation with European allies over the past few years.
The National Rally is currently polling first ahead of the 2027 presidential election, which could put the far-right party in charge of one of Europe’s only two nuclear arsenals.
Le Pen is her party’s official presidential candidate, although a pending appeal decision on her trial for embezzlement of EU funds could force her to pass the baton to National Rally President Jordan Bardella.
The duo issued a joint statement after Macron’s speech Monday outlining their party’s approach to nuclear weapons.