Hungary, where Marine Le Pen is currently located, is “an example of democracy”, argued Julien Sanchez, spokesperson for the National Rally and Marine Le Pen, invited to franceinfo on Monday, October 25, “because the proportional exists”. According to him, Viktor Orban “is an elected leader who represents his people”. Julien Sanchez also evokes Eric Zemmour, “intellectually interesting” but which “copy and paste our program”.
franceinfo: What is Marine Le Pen looking for in Hungary?
Julien Sanchez: She is quite simply in her role as future head of state. She accepts invitations from foreign leaders to interact with them. So, indeed, it will be received tomorrow by Viktor Orban. She will even hold a press conference with him. I believe that it is important to show precisely that great European leaders consider Marine Le Pen as a potential President of the Republic and are ready to hold press conferences with her. It is quite unprecedented for a sitting prime minister to hold a press conference with the main opposition candidate in a country that is less than six months from a presidential election. I remind you that, last Friday, she was with the Polish Prime Minister and with the Slovenian Prime Minister as well.
Is Hungary a model of society to follow for the National Gathering?
This is an example in terms of democracy, because proportionality exists, for example, in Parliament in Hungary. This is not the case in France, despite the many promises of Emmanuel Macron and those who preceded him. For example, the left in Hungary, when it has 11% of the vote, it has 11% of the seats in Parliament. In France, when Marine Le Pen and Jean-Luc Mélenchon each won 20% in the first round, they only had six deputies for one and 15 deputies for the other. When it comes to democracy, therefore, I believe that Hungary has a lot to teach us.
And when the European Commission expresses its serious concerns on the independence of the judiciary in Hungary, on the independence of the media in Hungary, on the very anti-LGBT speech of Viktor Orban. It’s not the critics that appeal to you?
No, Viktor Orban is a leader elected by his people. I believe with almost 50% in the first round, so he is legitimate and if he expresses himself, it is because he has popular legitimacy and the Hungarians have delegated him for that, so he represents his people . Afterwards, on the European Union, obviously the European Union will not go in his direction since Viktor Orban is precisely trying to free himself from a certain number of obligations and constraints. He is firm on the principles, he wants to stay in the European Union, but he says “Me, immigration, it is out of the question that one imposes me anything. And I want my migratory firmness and I want to be able to decide on the matter “. We are not saying anything else. We say that we want to decide on what emerges from the state issues and we are like Viktor Orban on this point. And that’s why, moreover, with about fifteen European parties, we created a common forum in July to describe what we wanted and what was our model in this matter for the European Union.
This trip for Marine Le Pen is also an opportunity not to be left behind by Eric Zemmour who was himself in Budapest a month ago?
In this case, Eric Zemmour did not give a press conference. I think Viktor Orban was right about it and that he understood that Marine Le Pen was the one who could beat Emmanuel Macron. Eric Zemmour is a media bubble. Me, in reality, I do not see people who want to vote for Eric Zemmour. The French who vote for us, they want above all to free Emmanuel Macron. They want our ideas to come to power because they want to put an end to laxity, insecurity, massive immigration. And so for that, they know that we must not divide as the French left does with ten candidates. And beyond that, you will also allow me to think that the French believe in loyalty. And between a woman always present in the good times as the bad times and a stranger who winks at you in a vulgar and insistent way, you choose security, constancy and fidelity. You are not endangering France for a hobby which, in addition, tries to copy word for word, without originality, what your wife says. Eric Zemmour is an intellectually interesting person, it’s interesting to listen to him as it is interesting to listen to Jean-Luc Mélenchon as well, or others who, intellectually, deserve to be listened to. We share a large number of things with Eric Zemmour since he copy-paste our program, as Nicolas Sarkozy had done when he was elected President of the Republic.