Marine Le Pen accuses EU of advancing planned war project in the East
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Marine Le Pen warns that the EU is preparing for war in the East, accusing European leaders of betraying promises of peace amid growing militarization.
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French right-wing leader Marine Le Pen arrives at the courtroom for the trial over the suspected embezzlement of European Parliament funds, Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024 in Paris. (AP)
Marine Le Pen, leader of France’s right-wing National Rally party, accused the European Union on Monday of preparing a "planned war project" focused on the eastern front, warning that Brussels has abandoned its promises of peace in favor of militarization.
Speaking at an event held in France’s Loire department, Le Pen criticized what she described as the EU’s alarming shift toward war readiness. “The EU promised us peace, but now it has focused all its energy on the project of a planned war,” she said, addressing supporters of the Patriots for Europe coalition.
“I must tell you that today all the thematic commissions in the European Parliament are actively, I would say pathologically, engaged in preparing for war in the East,” Le Pen continued. “We, Europeans, know the price of bloodshed, we do not want war, we do not want leaders who play soldiers!”
Le Pen’s comments reflect growing concern among right-wing European politicians over the EU's increasing alignment with military agendas, particularly amid tensions with Russia. She has long opposed deeper EU military integration, advocating instead for national sovereignty and diplomatic solutions.
Patriots for Europe hosts right wing gathering
The event was organized by National Rally leaders Marine Le Pen and Jordan Bardella to mark the one-year anniversary of the Patriots for Europe coalition’s electoral gains in the European Parliament elections held last June.
Right-wing representatives from across the continent gathered in support of the coalition’s message against EU centralization and militarization.
The meeting served as both a political strategy session and a show of strength for the Patriots for Europe faction, one of the three major far-right blocs in the European Parliament, amid rising far-right momentum in Europe, partially boosted by Donald Trump’s return to the White House earlier this year.
Among the key attendees were Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, Italy’s Deputy Prime Minister and League party leader Matteo Salvini, Spain’s Vox party leader Santiago Abascal, and former Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis. Together, they sought to align positions on core issues such as immigration, EU governance, and national sovereignty.
📍🇫🇷 Honoured to join true patriots at the @PatriotsEU Summit in Fontainebleau. Great to meet with @matteosalvinimi, @kingagalMEP, @MLP_officiel, @J_Bardella, @latinopoulou, @tomvangrieken, @AndrejBabis, @Santi_ABASCAL, @MartinHelme, @RobertSlachta, @AndersVistisen,… pic.twitter.com/YqMO7XGpmu
— Orbán Viktor (@PM_ViktorOrban) June 8, 2025
Criticism of Macron’s leadership
Le Pen also took aim at French President Emmanuel Macron, expressing doubts over the current government’s capacity to handle a serious military conflict. “How can France be expected to wage an intense war today when the government can’t even control the chaos following the PSG-Inter match?” she asked.
Her critique suggested that internal instability reflects a broader failure in governance and casts further doubt on France’s role in any potential EU-led military action.
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