Russian opponent Alexei Navalny calls to vote for Emmanuel Macron

His voice continues to carry, even from his cell. Alexeï Navalny, the imprisoned Russian opponent, called on Wednesday April 20 to vote for Emmanuel Macron in the second round of the French presidential election. He also accused his rival Marine Le Pen’s party of compromising with Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin.

“It is without hesitation that I call on the French to vote for Emmanuel Macron on April 24, but I would like to address those who do not rule out voting for Marine Le Pen”the activist wrote in a series of tweets posted in French and in Russian.

3/18 It is without hesitation that I call on the French people to vote for @EmmanuelMacron April 24, but I would like to address those who do not rule out voting for @MLP_official. I would like to talk to you about corruption and conservatism.

— Alexey Navalny (@navalny) April 20, 2022

Alexeï Navalny, imprisoned since January 2021, said to himself “shocked” the loan of 9 million euros contracted in 2014 by the former National Front party (now National Rally) from a Russian bank. “This bank is a well-known money laundering agency that was created at the instigation of Putin. Would you like it if a French politician got a loan from Cosa Nostra?”launched Wednesday the opponent, who has conducted multiple investigations into the networks of corruption of Russian leaders and oligarchs.

“It’s corruption. And it’s a sale of political influence to Putin”, denounced the opponent, victim of an attempted poisoning which he attributes to the Kremlin. The National Rally, which continues to repay this loan, explained that the French banks had not wished to grant it a loan.

The activist also questioned the RN’s sympathies for the “conservatism” of Vladimir Putin. “Putin and his political elite are completely immoral, they despise family values: having a second and even a third family, mistresses and yachts is the norm for them”he wrote.