Marine Le Pen, far-right presidential candidate, met her European allies in Madrid on Saturday to establish her credibility, without managing to put out the fire of the family and political saga smoldering around her niece Marion Maréchal, who was tempted to join Eric Zemmour.
The candidate of the National Rally had taken care to take to Madrid the MEP Nicolas Bay, first vice-president of the Identity and Democracy (ID) group in the European Parliament – where the RN sits – and who is cited among those tempted to join Eric Zemmour.
But the MEP refused to say on Saturday whether he would be at his side until the first round. “I am in Madrid today alongside our candidate and our European allies to work on a project that goes well beyond these little political adventures,” he said on BFMTV.
“Those who want to leave (from the RN) are leaving, but they are leaving now because what is unbearable is the taqiya (concealment, editor’s note) for which they themselves blame the Islamists”, the candidate indirectly replied. of the RN during a brief press briefing.
“To have people today pretending to be here, when in reality their hearts or their minds are elsewhere, it’s unbearable. It’s a total lack of dignity and respect for the all of our activists,” she added.
– “Rattelier” –
Leaving for the airport, the press secretary of the candidate Caroline Parmentier in turn got carried away against Nicolas Bay. “What are your values? Loyalty? There are limits to hypocrisy and duplicity. Get out now rather than eat as long as possible at the rack,” she told him.
Marine Le Pen had already judged Friday “violent” that her niece Marion Maréchal is thinking of joining her rival, insisting on the “personal aspect” of their relationship and ensuring that she was “better placed” to win in April than the former editorialist .
The RN candidate (around 17%) is given in the polls in second place in the first round, neck and neck with the LR candidate Valérie Pécresse, ahead of Eric Zemmour (13%).
As rumors swelled, Marion Maréchal confided in Le Parisien and Le Figaro to say that she “leaned” for Eric Zemmour, without rallying him at this stage.
At the risk of rekindling family wounds, which Marion Maréchal wants to avoid at all costs.
Marine Le Pen was caught up by her niece even inside the meeting with her far-right and sovereigntist allies, among whom were the Hungarian Prime Ministers Viktor Orban and Polish Mateusz Morawiecki, but also… Marion’s husband Marshal, Vincenzo Sofo, who represented the Fratelli d’Italia party (neo-fascists). And that Mrs. Le Pen welcomed.
The words of Marion Maréchal follow a week’s rallying at Eric Zemmour of two ex-RN MEPs Jérôme Rivière and Gilbert Collard.
MEP Thierry Mariani, given among the possible starters, said that “today” there “remained Marine Le Pen, the only one who is in a position to win”.
By showing off with her allies, Marine Le Pen reinforces her international stature and her credibility on her ability to gain power. She also stands out from Eric Zemmour, who had experienced hectic trips to London and Geneva.
After a one-on-one breakfast with Mr. Orban, who hailed her as a “leader” without naming Eric Zemmour, she said she was “very optimistic about the ability” to form a single group in the European Parliament. These formations are divided there between the ID group (French RN, Italian League, German AfD) and the CRE group of European Conservatives and Reformists (Polish Law and Justice, Spanish Vox, Fratelli d’Italia). Viktor Orban’s Fidesz, who divorced the European People’s Party group, is looking for other partners.
In Madrid, they together castigated the EU’s energy and migration policy but were divided on Ukraine. Marine Le Pen, reputedly close to Moscow, refused to validate a paragraph on Ukraine in a joint declaration, which asserts that “Russia’s military actions on Europe’s eastern border have brought us to the edge of the war” and calls for “solidarity” in the face of “such threats”.