President of the French National Unity organization (Rassemblement National, RN) Jordan Bardella stated that French atomic weapons "by definition" already supply protection for European allies.
His message was made a fewer days before the gathering of the leaders of the European Union to strengthen the common defence of the continent.
"The defence of French interests does not end with [French] boundaries," Bardella said in a conversation with RTL radio. "Since [former French president Charles] de Gaulle, a French atomic umbrella has protected, by definition, any neighbours and certain European partners".
French president Emmanuel Macron stressed on Sunday that a "strategic conversation" was needed with European allies on the function of the French atomic arsenal in Europe's security. This debate is peculiarly crucial in the face of increasing concerns about the friendly attitude of US president Donald Trump towards Moscow and the possible withdrawal of the United States from military engagement in Europe.
The French atomic doctrine assumes the alleged "European dimension" of protecting the vital interests of the state, but the degree of this dimension and the circumstances in which France could usage atomic weapons outside its borders stay deliberately unspecified.
Bardella's message is more open than the position of Marine Le Pen, a candidate for the National Unity for president of France, who stated on Saturday that "French atomic deterrent must stay a French atomic deterrent" and "cannot be shared".
Bardella besides accused another European countries of excessive dependence on American defence equipment and safety guarantees from Washington. He called for European investment in the defence sector to be preferred, which is simply a position akin to Macron's rhetoric. For decades, NATO-owned European countries have relied on powerful American atomic deterrence.
In fresh years, president Macron has repeatedly invited European leaders to dialog on how the French atomic arsenal could contribute to the protection of the continent. Unlike Britain, France is not a associate of NATO's atomic planning group.
So far, European countries, especially Germany, have avoided engaging in these talks. However, the likely future German chancellor Friedrich Merz late declared openness to discussions with France and Britain on atomic deterrence.
In conversation with the diary Le Figaro Macron suggested that 1 of the solutions considered might be to include another countries in atomic deterrence exercises. According to the newspaper, France could besides discuss the deployment of its atomic weapons in another European countries, as the United States does in Germany, the Netherlands, Italy and Belgium.
However, Bardella powerfully opposed any form of sharing the decision to usage atomic weapons.
"The beginning of the button is simply a national betrayal," he said, referring to the anticipation of joint decision-making with another countries.
It is worth noting that no French authoritative has always proposed specified a solution.
President Macro clearly stressed that the decision to usage French atomic weapons was solely the president of the Republic.
"The president of the Republic decides to usage atomic weapons in a completely sovereign and always confidential way," he said in an interview with Le Figaro.
