The President of the Republic, Emmanuel Macron, affirms in an interview with Humanité, posted online on Sunday February 18, that he never considered that the National Rally (RN) “[was] part of the republican arc”. Words which contrast with those of his Prime Minister, Gabriel Attal, who believed that “the republican arc is the hemicycle”, arguing that behind the parties, there are “millions of French people who voted”.
“The National Assembly welcomes all the forces elected by the people,” recognizes Emmanuel Macron. “Do everyone adhere to the Republic and its values? No. This is also true for far-left groups”, specifies the Head of State, targeting “certain personalities of rebellious France” who, “through their positions”, “fight the values of the Republic”. “Even if I don’t equate the two extremes. I never considered that the RN or Reconquest were part of the “republican arc”,” he adds.
However, “the RN is in the Assembly (…); we cannot ignore it. On the other hand, I have always considered, as with the immigration law, that important texts should not pass thanks to their votes. This distinction is enough to say where I live,” said the head of state. The President of the Republic recognizes that he has not “succeeded in everything”, but that “all” bear “responsibilities” in the rise of the far right.
The RN “is no longer openly anti-Semitic and negationist”
While the communist resistance fighters Missak and Mélinée Manouchian are due to enter the Pantheon on Wednesday, L’Humanité recalls that Marine Le Pen received an invitation to the ceremony in her capacity as president of the RN group in the National Assembly.
“The far-right forces would be inspired not to be present, given the nature of Manouchian’s fight,” replies Emmanuel Macron, although, according to him, the RN “is no longer openly anti-Semitic and negationist,” as the National Front was “resolutely” so.
“As for the tribute to Robert Badinter from which the elected representatives of the RN were absent”, at the request of the family of the former Keeper of the Seals, “the spirit of decency, the relationship with history should lead them to make a choice,” argues Mr. Macron. “But I am not going, through an arbitrary gesture, to decide on it,” he adds, believing that his “duty is to invite all the representatives elected by the French people” without having to “sort out between them “.
Asked about Marine Le Pen’s chances of coming to power in 2027, Mr. Macron, who will not be able to run again, assures that he does not have “the spirit of defeat.” “The feeling of loss of control fuels RN. Many of its voters consider Europe to be too open, too complicated. So the magic formula would be a return to nationalism,” notes the head of state.
“Deindustrialization and the feeling of downgrading have fueled the far right. We began to respond to this with the fall in unemployment and the start of reindustrialization. It’s a long process,” he pleads.