Far-right leader Marine Le Pen announced on Friday her intention to withdraw France from NATO's integrated military command if she wins the presidential election next year, a stance that Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot labeled as "irresponsible."
Le Pen's Position on NATO
Le Pen, whose 2027 presidential bid depends on an appeals court ruling later this year, has long argued that participation in the command structure undermines France's independence. She reiterated her position to BFM TV as NATO ministers gathered in Sweden. "We have to withdraw from NATO's integrated command. We should remain in NATO, but leaving the command does not prevent interoperability with allied forces," she stated.
She criticized what she described as Europe's dependence on U.S. decisions, saying, "In reality we are dependent on the decisions of (U.S. President) Donald Trump, which is regrettable." Le Pen's National Rally party currently leads opinion polls about a year before the presidential election.
Government Response
NATO's Integrated Military Command is the alliance's permanent command system, designed to ensure that the 32 member states' military forces can act quickly as a single unit. Arriving at the NATO meeting in Sweden, Barrot emphasized that with Washington reviewing its level of engagement in Europe, it was more important than ever for France and its partners "to assert their vision, develop their capabilities — in short, to Europeanise NATO."
"Calls by certain French political figures for withdrawal from NATO are obviously unreasonable and wholly irresponsible," Barrot said, adding that some allies were "constantly harassed by Russian aggression" and would see such a move as a betrayal.
Party Divergence
National Rally's leader Jordan Bardella, a potential presidential candidate, struck a more cautious tone than Le Pen in March, saying he would not pull France out of the command during wartime.
