Attempted interference? Provocation? Political coup? Statements by Russia are causing embarrassment for the National Rally, regularly accused of being close to Moscow. On Wednesday, July 3, Russian diplomacy considered that the “undeniable success of the opposition” in France during the first round of early legislative elections on June 30 and during the European elections on June 9 was a response, in particular, to the “diktat” of Washington and Brussels.
“The first round (of the legislative elections), as well as the European elections in June, cannot be considered anything other than a vote of no confidence by the French people in the current authorities, including Paris’ foreign policy,” Russian foreign ministry spokesman Andrei Nastassin said at a briefing.
“The undeniable success of the opposition is not only a sign of the polarization of society and a strengthening of protest, but also of the growing demand in the country for social justice, a sovereign foreign policy that meets national interests and freedom from the dictates of Washington and Brussels,” he continued.
An explicit photo
The diplomat, who did not specify which opposition he was talking about, assured that Moscow “never” interferes in elections abroad. “Of course, this does not mean that we stand aside. We are far from indifferent to what is happening in a country (France, editor’s note) that, until some time ago, was rightly considered one of the leading European powers and was even our strategic partner,” he said. “Today, (France) has turned into one of the promoters of a destructive war of the collective West against Russia,” Andrei Nastassin continued, referring to Paris’ support for Ukraine.
The statements of the spokesperson for Russian diplomacy were relayed on the X account of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, accompanied by a photo of Marine Le Pen, all smiles and triumphant, Sunday evening in Hénin-Beaumont (Pas-de-Calais) after her re-election in the first round of the legislative elections. Another comment is added, even more political: “French leaders will not be able to ignore these profound changes in attitude of the vast majority of citizens.”
A “provocation” for Marine Le Pen
In the evening, French Foreign Minister Stéphane Séjourné responded to these statements on X, stating that Russia was expressing “its preference for the French election”. “But here, it is not the Kremlin that decides, it is the French people,” Stéphane Séjourné declared.
On TF1, Wednesday evening, Marine Le Pen distanced herself from Moscow’s embarrassing message. “I absolutely do not feel responsible for Russian provocations against France and against Emmanuel Macron,” she said. “I think it is a provocation and that it is perhaps also a form of interference. When you make such an ostentatious and provocative tweet, it can be considered a form of interference,” she stressed, before recalling her party’s position on Russia’s war against Ukraine. “We have been extremely clear: we will maintain our support for Ukraine, we have given the limits that were ours, in particular the sending of troops to Ukrainian soil,” she explained.
RN President Jordan Bardella, the party’s candidate for Prime Minister if he wins the second round, also recently said he would be “extremely vigilant” in the face of “Russian attempts at interference”, while setting “red lines” on sending ground troops to Ukraine or “long-range missiles or military equipment” that could “directly strike Russian cities”.