Le Pen and Bardella condemn Russian intimidation, back infrastructure protection in joint statement
On 19 September, Marine Le Pen and Jordan Bardella, the leadership of France's Rassemblement National, published a joint statement condemning Russian attempts to dictate French policy through intimidation and threats, and backing measures to protect France's strategic infrastructure. The statement, issued a day after Bardella attended a meeting at the Élysée Palace on geopolitical crises, also condemned Russia's seizure of assets of European companies operating in Russia, including Nestlé and Auchan, while affirming that domestic debate over French support for Ukraine is legitimate but foreign pressure is not.
Key points
- Marine Le Pen and Jordan Bardella published the joint statement on 19 September on behalf of the Rassemblement National.
- They said Russia cannot dictate French policy through intimidation, threats, destabilisation or psychological pressure.
- They declared no provocation, covert operation or destabilising action will force France to help Russia achieve its military goals in Ukraine.
- The statement came the day after an Élysée Palace meeting attended by Bardella on geopolitical crises facing France.
- They condemned Russia's seizure of assets of European companies still operating in Russia, naming Nestlé and Auchan, as a "hostile act".
- They backed measures to strengthen the security of France's strategic infrastructure, and said hostile acts on French territory must not go unpunished.
- Le Pen leads French presidential polls; Bardella has headed the Rassemblement National since November 2022 and could become prime minister if she wins in 2027.
Why it matters
The statement represents a notable public hardening of tone toward Moscow from the leadership of France's leading far-right party, which has historically faced criticism for positions seen as conciliatory toward Russia. It comes amid broader European alarm about Russian hybrid operations targeting critical infrastructure in countries that support Ukraine, and signals that even political forces skeptical of the current scale of French aid to Kyiv frame Russian pressure on France as unacceptable. At the same time, the text insists that domestic French debate over the level and conditions of support for Ukraine is legitimate — a position that will shape French policy debates regardless of who holds power after the 2027 presidential election.
What happened
On Saturday, 19 September, Marine Le Pen and Jordan Bardella, the two leading figures of France's Rassemblement National party, published a joint statement taking a firm line toward Moscow. They declared that Russia cannot directly or indirectly dictate French policy through intimidation, threats, destabilisation or psychological pressure, and stated that no provocation, covert operation or destabilising action will be able to force France to help Russia achieve its military goals in Ukraine. The pair condemned Russia's decision to seize control of the assets of European companies still operating in Russia — naming Nestlé and Auchan — as a "hostile act" that directly undermines the interests and rights of European businesses. They expressed support for all measures necessary to strengthen the security of France's strategic infrastructure, and said France must not leave unpunished any hostile acts committed on its territory against its infrastructure, strategic interests or people. They also affirmed that a democratic debate in France over the level of financial support for Ukraine and the conditions for providing it is legitimate, but that foreign pressure is not, and that they support preserving a diplomatic approach to Russia's war against Ukraine — arguing that a tough response to hostile actions is not incompatible with seeking a diplomatic end to the war. The statement was issued the day after a meeting at the Élysée Palace, attended by Bardella, which briefed French political forces on the geopolitical crises facing France. The previous day, 18 September, President Emmanuel Macron had announced he had instructed the government to prepare a plan to protect critical infrastructure from Russian hybrid attacks.
How international sources describe it
The statement sits within a broader European pattern of alarm over Russian hybrid operations targeting critical infrastructure in countries supporting Ukraine. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has said intelligence indicates Russian "plans for hybrid strikes" against such countries, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has said the EU plans to present a new security strategy intended to complement Article 4 of the NATO Treaty. The Rassemblement National's public alignment with this framing — from a party whose leader tops French presidential polls and whose parliamentary leader could become prime minister — is the international angle most often highlighted in coverage.
Background
Marine Le Pen announced on 7 July that she will run for the French presidency in 2027 and currently leads the race in polls; Jordan Bardella has been the official head of the Rassemblement National since November 2022 and could become prime minister if she wins. Both have previously taken positions skeptical of the current scale of French aid to Ukraine: Le Pen has argued France cannot sustain the same level of financial support because of its own fiscal difficulties, while saying training and equipment supplies could continue, and Bardella has argued France should secure economic returns for its aid, citing the US "minerals agreement" with Ukraine. On 18 September, President Emmanuel Macron instructed the government to prepare a plan to protect critical infrastructure from Russian hybrid attacks, and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said intelligence indicates Russian "plans for hybrid strikes" against countries supporting Ukraine. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the EU plans to present a new security strategy intended to complement Article 4 of the NATO Treaty. On 31 March 2025, Le Pen was sentenced to four years in prison (two suspended and two as house arrest with an electronic bracelet), fined €100,000 and banned from holding public office for five years — a ruling that, unless overturned, would bar her from the 2027 presidential election.