The tension quickly rose a notch with the announcement of two deaths in the deadly fall in Poland of a Russian-made missile. Reactions in France that began shortly after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky claimed that Poland had been hit by Russian missiles. And to have an overview of what actually happens in such a situation, know that the French deputies were then in the hemicycle at the Assembly for the examination of the programming law of the Ministry of the Interior (LOPMI).
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After the first news from Poland, it was the boss of the LR deputies, Olivier Marleix who asked to speak: “It would be desirable for the government to keep the National Assembly informed of the information it has on this ongoing crisis.“. After this statement, the meeting was adjourned.
While the Lopmi exam has just resumed, @oliviermarleix alert on the situation in Poland, where two Russian missiles have exploded near the Ukrainian border. “It would be desirable for the government to keep the National Assembly informed.”#DirectAN pic.twitter.com/tcXNYbhWiw
—LCP (@LCP) November 15, 2022
And some fifteen minutes later, Secretary of State Sonia Backes read a text message she had just received from Matignon: “The government is following the situation very closely in conjunction with our Polish allies. Poland can count on the solidarity of France and we will keep you informed as information we receive.“. We already note at this time particularly cautious words.
Poland: “The government is following the situation on the ground very closely in conjunction with our Polish allies […]. In any case, Poland can count on the solidarity of France”, announces @SoniaBackeswhich reports the words of@Elisabeth_Borne.#DirectAN #Lopmi #Poland pic.twitter.com/FR207WLLAs
—LCP (@LCP) November 15, 2022
At the Assembly, Olivier Marleix was not the only one to ask for explanations: Mathilde Panot, the boss of the LFI group, also asked that the national representation be informed quickly. Cyrielle Chatelain, president of the environmental group urged transparency and that the assembly be “closely associated“…
For its part, the Elysée Palace first communicated quite briefly at the end of the evening, recalling France’s solidarity with Poland. “The President contacted the Polish authorities“, said the Elysée. “First of all, we raise doubts“, then specified to franceinfo the Ministry of the Armed Forces. Because that is what is at stake: not to overreact, keep your cool and wait for the conclusions of the investigation.
On the night of Tuesday to Wednesday, from Bali where the G20 is taking place, Emmanuel Macron’s entourage reiterated calls on them to “the greatest caution“on the origin of the missile that fell in Poland.”The risks of escalation are significant”, confirms the Elysée. “You have to look at the facts very precisely, look at the information, the sky maps, see the satellite readings. It’s a deal you can’t go wrong with.” adds a presidential adviser.
This shot on Poland will obviously be at the heart of the G20 discussions. But for French politics, if the NUPES and the right reacted on Tuesday evening, we note the absence of reaction from the far right for the moment. It will be necessary to follow the conclusions of the international inquiry and its consequences. This could relaunch the debate on France’s membership of NATO. A membership denounced in particular by rebellious France.