Marine Le Pen Euronaval frigate expansion, Digi Mart USA News (Villepinte, Seine-Saint-Denis, France): Rassemblement national presidential candidate Marine Le Pen visited the Euronaval naval defense industry show at Villepinte on Thursday, November 5, to show support for industry players in the sector. She is expected to unveil her presidential proposals soon.
Le Pen arrived accompanied by a dozen or so lawmakers, including several members of the National Defence Committee, as well as representatives of the Union of Right for the Republic (UDR), an RN ally focused on economic patriotism and defense of strategic industrial sectors. UDR president Éric Ciotti viewed a model of the future next-generation aircraft carrier France Libre and sat in the cockpit of an Airbus helicopter on display.
Le Pen spent time at several stands, including those of Alseamar, Dassault Aviation, Naval Group, MBDA and Airbus, discussing technical issues and possible obstacles facing the sector. She said the show was important for French sovereignty because the naval defense industrial and technological base is admired by many countries.
Although she has not yet presented her detailed presidential program, Le Pen outlined what she called extremely important challenges, including protecting the world’s second-largest maritime domain, combating illegal immigration, particularly in Mayotte, fighting drug trafficking, and monitoring undersea cables. She also cited challenges in drone development and in recruiting and retaining personnel.
Le Pen said France should ideally increase the number of frigates in the national navy, while acknowledging current budget constraints. She stated that the navy has about one hundred vessels overall, which is probably not enough, and said that France is being plundered.
Le Pen also reiterated that she favors eventually leaving NATO’s integrated command. She criticized European officials who want a European version of NATO while remaining in the integrated command, calling that contradictory.
Her remarks came after Édouard Philippe, of the Horizons group, had criticized her position on the same issue earlier that day.
Quoting Cardinal Richelieu, who played a major role in building French naval power in the early 17th century, Le Pen said France must not turn inward toward a continental vision, since it is a global nation.
