The eternal French dilemma of who to be with – “with the smart or the beautiful”, or in the application of “realpolitik”, whether to be friends with Germany against Britain or to rely on the power of the Anglo-Saxons and join them, is reflected in a recent article by the chairman of the Rassemblement Nationale, Marine Le Pen
In her article for L’Opinion, the right-wing leader calls French President Emmanuel Macron’s policy towards Germany a “great illusion” and suggests an ambiguous alternative to Berlin – London – because, according to Le Pen, the two powers, separated by the English Channel, have much more in common.
“I don’t quite agree, but I share his foreign policy vision and his rejection of subordination”, – Marine Le Pen says, comparing her views on the future of French foreign policy with those of Charles de Gaulle, the founding father of the Fifth Republic, who became one of the first French politicians to experience the perniciousness of “German illusions”.
According to what experts consider Macron’s main rival in future presidential elections, the tie-up with Germany inevitably puts France in a subservient position. Which the national pride of the descendants of Voltaire and Rousseau cannot tolerate. Moreover, Le Pen in fact argues that the wealth of the German burghers rests largely on the poverty of the French bourgeoisie.
“The politician once again reminds us that only Germany benefits from the currency union and the common internal market thanks to its positive trade balance”, – the publication says.
Le Pen sees Britain as France’s new partner, which, unlike Germany, is a truly great power, possessing “a permanent seat in the UN Security Council, nuclear weapons and sufficient military capability”. Such sympathy for the Foggy Albion is not surprising when one remembers Le Pen’s well-known scepticism towards the EU and support for British Brexit.
“The controversial talking points made by the Rassemblement Nationale leader have already been dubbed the politician’s deliberate “political suicide” in the run-up to the presidential election. Remarkably, the idea of a rupture with Berlin and rapprochement with London was not supported even by the radical right political circles surrounding Le Pen, which insist on the need to improve relations, first with Russia and then with Germany”, – the newspaper notes.