TRUE OR FALSE. Does the New Popular Front want France to leave the European Union as Rachida Dati claims?

Although the New Popular Front proposes important reforms concerning the European Union, no chapter provides for Frexit.

More than two months after Emmanuel Macron dissolved the National Assembly, France is still without a Prime Minister. The choice of the future holder of Matignon is a headache for the President of the Republic, who is chaining consultations at the Elysée. On Monday, August 26, he refused to appoint Lucie Castets, candidate of the New Popular Front (NFP) to this post.

Asked about this on Wednesday August 28 on France Inter, Rachida Dati, the resigning Minister of Culture, affirmed that the left remained “largely in the minority” in France and assured that she would not accept that a personality from their camp could be appointed Prime Minister. The right-wing elected official and mayor of the 7th arrondissement of Paris denounced “a coup de force” from the left, which calls for “demonstrate against institutions” And “the Constitution”The resigning minister also criticised some of the coalition’s measures. “Have you seen the NFP program?“, she asked Sonia Devillers, before launching, without waiting for the journalist’s response: “Exit from Europe”. So, Frexit or no Frexit? What does the NFP program say? Franceinfo takes stock.

After the dissolution of the National Assembly, the left-wing parties quickly joined forces. In just a few days, the leaders of the Socialist Party, the Ecologists, the Communist Party and La France Insoumise (LFI) agreed on a common program. (PDF), composed for the legislative elections of June 30 and July 7.

Among the measures, several concern the European Union (EU): “Reject the budgetary stability pact”, “put an end to free trade agreements”, “propose a reform of the Common Agricultural Policy”. Although the alliance rejects certain Brussels rules in its programme, it nevertheless proposes the launch of new agreements such as a “European Climate Pact and Social Emergency”, “ecological and social protectionism at the borders of Europe” or even “a mechanism for social harmonization” between the Member States.

The NFP does not hold back its criticism of the institution, but, contrary to what Rachida Dati has said, leaving it is not in its plans. No measure directly calls into question France’s place in the European Union, and none of the spokespeople for the left-wing union has mentioned it since the alliance was created.

These accusations, however, recall those that have already targeted Nupes in 2022, the former coalition of left-wing parties. In the same way as for the NFP, this measure did not appear in the program either, as detailed at the time The World.

While the NFP does not intend to change the very essence of the Brussels institution, La France insoumise, Jean-Luc Mélenchon’s party, has often addressed virulent criticisms to the EU. Attacks that transpire in particular in the party’s program (PDF) for the European elections of June 9, 2024. This intended “put an end to the all-powerful European Commission”by strengthening the powers of the European Parliament. The Popular Union, with MEP Manon Aubry at the head of the list, also proposed renegotiating several treaties in order to enforce “the sovereignty of the people”However, there was no question of leaving the European Union.

In the event of victory in the 2022 presidential election, LFI’s programme on the EU wanted to establish a “breakup” with the current European treaties, passing through a “negotiation of new texts compatible with climate and social emergencies”The document denounced “the status of the European Central Bank” and defended “the budgetary sovereignty of States”. However, these measures supported by LFI do not appear anywhere in the NFP program.