The leader of the deputies RN Marine Le Pen deplored on Sunday “a significant loss for Russian democracy” after the death of Alexeï Navalny, singling out “the conditions of detention which were imposed” on the opponent of Vladimir Putin.
“Save your crocodile tears”
“The conditions of detention which were imposed on Alexeï Navalny are certainly one of the reasons for his death,” argued the three-time presidential candidate. “The choice of imprisonment in one of the harshest prisons in Russia very clearly demonstrates a hardening of Vladimir Putin’s regime and we can obviously only deplore and condemn the way in which the rights of defense, whatever the country of origin. “elsewhere, are not respected, particularly when it comes to political opponents”, declared Marine Le Pen, who sees “a form of weakness in imprisoning one’s opponents”.
The National Rally, which through its president Jordan Bardella, spoke of “tragic news” on Friday, was accused of duplicity by part of the political class, including within the government. “Navalny died for opposing your friend Putin. Keep your crocodile tears. You were born before shame,” the Minister of Justice, Éric Dupond-Moretti, stormed on X. “Neither you nor your party voted for the resolutions (in the European Parliament, Editor’s note) condemning the persecution to which Alexeï Navalny was subjected in Russia. The RN and Jordan Bardella are the objective allies of a regime which flouts the rights of Man every day”, also wrote the Minister Delegate for Europe Jean-Noël Barrot.
On this point, Marine Le Pen responded that “the problem with these resolutions” is that they “have no effect”. She also pointed out the “responsibility” of “those who use the Navalny case to (…) advance their positions” by broadening their scope: “Perhaps this resolution should have, in fact, been devoted exclusively to” to Alexei Navalny.
“We need to know what we are fighting for” in Ukraine, says Marine Le Pen
Asked about continued support for Ukraine, Marine Le Pen assured that “we must not let down” the country. “But we have to know what we are fighting for. Once again, if we deliver arms to Ukraine, then we must say that it is with the aim of allowing it to arrive in a position of strength ” to “negotiate” peace, she developed, defending “a pragmatic approach”. “I do not want Ukraine to be kept in a situation of permanent war which could last five years, ten years, fifteen years to end up doing with Ukraine what the Russians wanted to do and which They failed in their first offensive, that is to say, to collapse this country,” insisted the elected official from Pas-de-Calais.
The Minister of Agriculture Marc Fesneau, guest at the same time on Political Questions (France Inter/Le Monde/France Télévisions), for his part described the RN as the “party of Russia”, urging the far-right party to “denounce Russian aggression and tell Mr. Putin, ‘Go home’.” The RN is regularly accused of serving the propaganda of the Russian regime and even, in the words of a parliamentary report, of serving as a “transmission belt” with the Kremlin, which Ms. Le Pen’s party formally contests.