Marine Le Pen has said that it is the prime minister, not the president, who “pulls the strings” when it comes to military decision-making.
Just three days before the historic legislative elections in France, the leader of the country’s far-right raised the uncomfortable question of who would be in command of the armed forces if her party takes over the government after the two-round vote.
Early elections are plunging France into uncharted territory, and political scientists are struggling to interpret how exactly President Emmanuel Macron and a prime minister who is hostile to most of his policies would share power if Marine Le Pen’s National Rally obtained a majority in the National Assembly. , the lower house of the French parliament.
Le Pen has repeatedly said that Jordan Bardella, her protege and her party’s top leader, would lead France’s next government if her increasingly popular party wins.
In an interview, she suggested that Bardella, just 28 years old and with no government experience, would also take on at least some decisions about France’s defense and armed forces.
Macron has three years left in his final term as president.
Serving as commander-in-chief of the armed forces “is an honorary title for the president, as it is the prime minister who really controls,” Le Pen said in an interview with Le Telegramme newspaper published Thursday.
Political friction over foreign policy
The French Constitution states that “the President of the Republic is the head of the armed forces” and also “presides over the superior national defense councils and committees”.
However, the Constitution also states that “the prime minister is responsible for national defense”.
Constitutional experts have said that the prime minister’s exact role in foreign policy and defense appears to be subject to interpretation.
It is an issue with global ramifications, as France possesses nuclear weapons and its troops and military personnel have been deployed to many conflict zones around the world.
The last time France had a prime minister and president from different parties, they largely agreed on strategic defense and foreign policy issues.
But this time, the power-sharing concept known in France as “cohabitation” could be very different, given the animosity between far-right and far-left politicians.
Both blocs appear to deeply resent the centrist, business-friendly president.
Regarding the issue of the country’s military command, political historian Jean Garrigues told the Associated Press news agency that “the president is the head of the armed forces, [but] It is the Prime Minister who has the armed forces at his disposal.”
In practice, he added, this means that “if the president decided to send troops on the ground to Ukraine… the prime minister would be able to block this decision.”
In March, Macron warned Western powers against showing any signs of weakness to Russia and said Ukraine’s allies should not rule out sending Western troops to Ukraine to help the country against Russia’s aggression.
Le Pen is confident that her party, which has a history of racism, xenophobia and links to Russia, will be able to translate its stunning triumph in European Parliament elections earlier this month into victory in France.
Left-wing groups, anti-racist activists and feminists gathered in Paris on Thursday to urge voters to stop the anti-immigration National Rally from reaching the top.
The first round will take place on Sunday. The decisive second round is scheduled for July 7, a week later. The outcome remains uncertain due to a complex voting system and potential alliances.
This story originally appeared on Aljazeera.com read the full story
