Three days before the first round of parliamentary elections in France, right-wing populist Marine Le Pen questioned the president’s authority as commander-in-chief. Since then, a heated debate has raged among the French about how the constitution should be interpreted.
The president’s constitutionally enshrined role as “commander in chief of the armed forces” is an “honorary title,” Le Pen said in an interview with the newspaper “Le Télégramme” published on Tuesday evening.
“It is an honorary title because the prime minister oversees the treasury,” she pointed out. She assumes that her party Rassemblement National (RN) will win an absolute majority and that party leader Jordan Bardella will then become prime minister. “Jordan Bardella is not going to run against the president, but there are red lines. The president will not be able to send soldiers to Ukraine,” Le Pen said.
Angry response to Le Pen’s Sager
In response, Defense Minister Sébastien Lecornu published the relevant constitutional article and a quote from a speech by former President Charles de Gaulle about the online service
The message to read:
“Under the constitution, the president guarantees the independence and integrity of the country and the treaties that bind the country. In short, he is responsible for France,” Lecornu said, quoting De Gaulle’s 1962 speech. “In order to assume this highest responsibility, the head of state needs adequate resources. This is what the constitution gives him,” De Gaulle added. The Minister of Defense responded by saying: “The constitution is not a position of honour.”
Politician François Bayrou, who is close to President Emmanuel Macron, accused Le Pen of being unconstitutional. “If you say it is just a nice title, you are seriously questioning the constitution,” he told broadcaster Europe 1. Le Pen’s statement was “extremely worrying,” he added.
The election for the National Assembly not only has national significance, but also consequences for Europe and beyond, Bayrou said. “Putin is already opening the champagne,” he said, referring to the previous close relationship between the RN and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
RN wants to block Macron
Le Pen later reiterated her position on the online service. She recalled that Socialist Prime Minister Lionel Jospin spoke out in 1999 against the deployment of soldiers planned by conservative President Jacques Chirac.
Constitutional lawyers point out that the division of roles in the field of defense is in fact not clearly laid down in the French Constitution. “This is one of the points where it is most unclear,” says expert Bertrand Mathieu. “There is no clear dividing line,” he added. The question has not played a role so far, because there have been no major disagreements.
Who has what powers?
According to constitutional lawyer Mathieu Carpentier, tensions could arise over the issue of sending French military trainers to Ukraine. Such a decision would ultimately have to be taken jointly by both the President and the Prime Minister. “The risk of a political crisis is quite high and could harm our strategic interests,” he said.
Source: Krone
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