Thibaut François, shadow man of the RN and Sébastien Chenu, party executive, are among the legitimate candidates for the post of Minister of Foreign Affairs in the event of victory of the National Rally in the early legislative elections.
While the National Rally (RN) is currently leading the polls ahead of the early legislative elections on June 30 and July 7, the question of the composition of a hypothetical Jordan Bardella government arises.Marine Le Pen repeats it to anyone who will listen and even before the start of the official campaign for the legislative elections: the National Rally is “ready to exercise power”, to “right the country” and to “revive France” . She assures her camp has “the possibility of forming a government of national unity”. In this case, the question of the Minister of Foreign Affairs will have to arise. For this strategic position, two men seem to stand out in the ranks of the RN, even if no communication from the RN has yet taken place.
Thibaut François, Marine Le Pen’s discreet but essential negotiator
Born on December 10, 1989, Thibaut François served as municipal councilor for the city of Douai before being elected as a French deputy for the 17th constituency of the North in 2022 under the RN banner. Little by little, the man gained the trust of the party president, Jordan Bardella, who entrusted him with the role of delegate for European affairs of the National Rally. From 2019 to 2022, he is also secretary general of the RN delegation to the European Parliament. He is also the deputy secretary general of the Identity and Democracy (ID) group, enabling him to develop a solid network on a European scale and forge valuable alliances with other far-right parties.
According to information from The letter, Thibaut François “is at the origin of the first, informal, meeting in 2021, between Jordan Bardella and Fabrice Leggeri (3rd on the RN European list, and therefore, elected)”. “Marine Le Pen and Jordan Bardella also consulted Thibaut François about all the outgoing MEPs, only eight of whom were reappointed to a position ensuring their election” specifies the media. Enough to place the esteem of the two RN decision-makers relatively high on the subject of the northerner.
Hungary, Czech Republic, Spain, Portugal: countless connections
Over the years, Thibaut François has managed to gain the trust of the European hard right, for example with Balazs Orban, right-hand man of the Hungarian leader or the tenors of Fidesz, the Hungarian conservative and populist party, such as his vice-president Kings Gal. The Letter also tells us that Thibaut François deals “directly with party leaders”, as with Tomio Okamura, of Liberty and Direct Democracy in the Czech Republic, or André Ventura, boss of Chega in Portugal. Enough to give more weight, if necessary, to his CV to try to glean a position as Minister of Foreign Affairs if the RN were to win the 2024 legislative elections.
He was also a major player in the enterprise of dissociating the RN from the German AFD party, after the revelations of the “remigration” project of citizens of foreign origin which the German party was at the origin. If Jordan Bardella had not really taken the measure of such an event, Thibaut François, the man in the shadow of Marine Le Pen, yes. Libération also recalls that he had “hunted for elements deemed insufficiently Lepénist” with Philippe Olivier and Jérôme Rivière during the 2022 presidential election. The objective? Remove members tempted by an adventure with Eric Zemmour’s party, Reconquest. His numerous relationships, to which are added certain connections with the Spaniards of Vox, make Thibaut François a more than serious profile if the leaders of the RN were to entertain the idea of the composition of a government in the coming weeks.
Sébastien Chenu, the specialist and tenor of the RN
The strategy of the “shadow cabinet” seems to have borne fruit since several names of elected representatives of the National Rally considered ministerial are circulating while the hypothesis of a Bardella government must be considered in view of the results of the polls on the legislative elections. The latter put the RN in the lead and in a position to become the majority group in the National Assembly. Interviews have already been conducted by the RN MEP, Philippe Olivier, with various elected representatives of the party with the aim of forming a government according to Provence. A mission commissioned by Marine Le Pen herself to train “specialists” for each government portfolio to be filled. So, does Sébastien Chenu’s name appear in the small papers? Nothing is less certain, but his profile could seduce Jordan Bardella, combining experience, confidence and practice.
Member of the permanent committee on foreign affairs of the National Assembly, until the dissolution of Emmanuel Macron, Sébastien Chenu has the advantage of being immersed in subjects relating to continental issues. Recently, he notably participated in the examination of the bill to control immigration, improve integration as well as in the commission of inquiry relating to political, economic and financial interference by foreign powers – States, organizations, companies, interest groups, private individuals – aiming to influence or corrupt French opinion leaders, leaders or political parties. This is why the vice-president of the RN could be entrusted with a ministry, and more particularly that of foreign affairs. According to information from BFMTV, the 51-year-old man could well hope for promotion in the ranks of the Lepéniste party. On the subject of a possible ministerial post if the National Rally were to win during the next legislative elections, the main person concerned prefers to play the pragmatism card: “Marine Le Pen will prepare to become President of the Republic” during the two coming years. “I will be what Marine Le Pen wants” he clarified.