Far-right Leader Bardella Denounces Macron’s Pan-European Nuclear Initiative

Bardella noted that France’s nuclear strategy has always included protecting interests beyond its borders.

“In terms of nuclear power, I support principles that exclude sharing, co-financing, and joint decision-making on the nuclear button,” Bardella stated.

The Elysée Palace has maintained that only the French president holds the authority to authorize a nuclear strike.

The National Rally, traditionally wary of involvement with both NATO and the EU, leads early polls for the upcoming presidential election. If Marine Le Pen’s effort to appeal her five-year election disqualification due to embezzlement charges fails, Bardella, aged 30, is likely to run instead.

Bardella’s comments precede a major address by Macron on France’s nuclear weapons role in Europe’s security. France has been in discussions with countries like Germany, Sweden, and Poland regarding using its nuclear arsenal to deter Russian President Vladimir Putin.

France, along with the U.K., is one of two nuclear-armed Western European nations, with both aerial and maritime capabilities and continuous submarine patrols. When questioned about reviving a land-based nuclear deterrent, which was abandoned post-Cold War, Bardella said: “It could be part of the debate.”