We have already spoken about it, in fact: Marine Le Pen’s positions vis-à-vis Russia have not ceased to vary since the beginning of the war in Ukraine. Wednesday, April 13, at a press conference, she clarified her diplomatic orientations at length. And this time, things seem clearer. “As soon as the Russian-Ukrainian war is over and settled by a peace treatydeclares Marine Le Pen, I will speak out in favor of the implementation of a strategic rapprochement between NATO and Russia, as was once envisaged.”
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The candidate of the National Rally will come out in favor of a strategic rapprochement with Russia. So, note that she no longer speaks of France, but of NATO in general. That being said, the key word in this sentence is of course: “strategic rapprochement”. It is indeed a restructuring of international alliances, with the aim, she then mentions it, of positioning oneself against the rise of China. A position certainly clearer, but debatable. As Marine Le Pen herself says, this rapprochement had been “formerly envisaged”, in this case, during the summit between Joe Biden and Vladimir Putin, in June 2021. Since then, there has been Russian aggression in Ukraine, the Boutcha massacre and the bombs on Mariupol: can we still consider that a such a rapprochement is appropriate? This is a question that arises.
Especially since this clarity… was in fact only temporary! Thursday morning, Franck Allisio, spokesperson for the National Rally, was the guest of France Inter. Is it really certain that France should plead for a “strategic rapprochement” with Vladimir Putin’s Russia? “By definition, a state recognizes states and not necessarily governments.ensures Frank Allisio, and therefore he must dialogue with the governments that are at the head of these States. / For years Valdimir Putin has not been exemplary and yet everyone has continued to discuss with him. Even during the Cold War we were discussing, so yes we will have to discuss again with Russia.” International Relations are not with Heads of State, but with States. However, France and NATO must have a good dialogue with Russia. Therefore, we must continue to dialogue with its head of state, Vladimir Poutine: Marine Le Pen’s proposal would in fact be completely innocuous.
Franck Allisio plays, here, on an ambivalence, that of the word “to dialogue”. Obviously dialogue between heads of state is always possible, including when they are enemies. Moreover, Emmanuel Macron continues, at this very moment, to dialogue with Vladimir Poutine. But between a diplomatic dialogue and a strategic rapprochement, there is a difference: that of the constitution of a new alliance! The National Rally hides behind this ambiguity… and it is not the only one. “For decades, including when the USSR was a totalitarian regime, resumes Franck Allisio, it was necessary to discuss with. / The opposition between NATO and Russia has no reason to exist, while Russia is no longer a totalitarian state. We are no longer fighting against Russia.”
“Russia is no longer a totalitarian state, no longer the USSR”, believes @franckallisiospokesperson for the National Rally to justify the “strategic rapprochement” that Marine Le Pen wishes to initiate with Russia #le79inter pic.twitter.com/zWO2gKChAm
– France Inter (@franceinter) April 14, 2022
“The opposition between NATO and Russia no longer has any reason to exist, since Russia is no longer a totalitarian state”. So the second part of the sentence is correct. In political science, “totalitarianism” refers to a very specific organization of powers where, to put it quickly, any dissenting thought is prevented and fought. Nazi Germany and indeed Stalin’s USSR were totalitarian regimes. Valdimir Putin’s Russia finds itself somewhere between an authoritarian regime and a dictatorship, it is indeed not the same thing.
On the other hand, it is not because Russia is no longer totalitarian… that opposition to NATO no longer has any reason to exist! On the contrary, one could present the opposite argument, according to which the belligerence of a nuclear power on the borders of the European Union is a reason to reactivate NATO in its historic opposition to Russia!
Again, the RN plays on words, to try to get the idea accepted that Marine Le Pen’s international positions would be harmless, this is not the case. His election would considerably strengthen Vladimir Putin’s Russia on the international scene. We can judge that relevant… but it is better to be aware.