ECR leader Procaccini urges EU to prepare to work with Le Pen — Politico Europe
In Brussels, Belgium, Nicola Procaccini, leader of the European Conservatives and Reformists group, said that EU institutions should be ready to work closely with Marine Le Pen should she win the presidential election in France. He said this in an interview with Politico Europe.
Procaccini, whom the publication describes as one of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's key allies in Brussels, believes that EU institutions and the center-right European People's Party should show courage in engaging with the Patriots for Europe group. In the European Parliament, the group includes Le Pen's French National Rally.
Procaccini's position
According to the ECR leader, the principle of politically isolating far-right forces, often referred to in Europe as a cordon sanitaire, cannot be applied to the French Republic. He called Le Pen and European Parliament member Jordan Bardella pragmatic politicians and expressed the view that they would defend France's national interests without steps such as taking the country out of the EU.
Procaccini expressed hope that Le Pen would choose Meloni's approach in relations with the European Commission, which he described as pragmatic, open and consistent. At the same time, he acknowledged that the French right has historically been less pro-European and less pro-Western than the Brothers of Italy party.
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Differences in the European Parliament
European People's Party vice-president and candidate for the post of Romania's prime minister Siegfried Mureșan expressed the opposite assessment. In his view, the anti-European party in France under Le Pen's leadership will become more radical in the coming months.
Procaccini also supported the National Rally's proposal to halve France's contribution to the EU budget, saying that his group does not support an excessively large budget. He called on the EPP to use votes from right-wing forces more openly to revise part of the European Green Deal legislation and strengthen competitiveness.
The EPP says it does not negotiate with far-right groups, but may adopt its own positions with their support. Its leader Manfred Weber previously defined a pro-European position, support for the rule of law and Ukraine as conditions for cooperation.
