While French politicians across the spectrum are united in their support for Ukraine, a debate in parliament has highlighted the divide between pro-Europeans and nationalists when it comes to the best approach, reigniting tensions in the country's fractured political landscape.
During Monday's debate in the National Assembly on how best to back Ukraine and protect European security, French MPs from all sides expressed their support for Kyiv and saluted the country’s ambassador to France, Omelchenko Vadym, who was in attendance.
However, MPs from the far right refrained from applauding Prime Minister Francois Bayrou's denunciation of US President Donald Trump’s treatment of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House last week.
The debate, which did not lead to a vote, was symbolic and allowed parties to position themselves on European and French security, but also to reiterate support – or opposition – to Emmanuel Macron's diplomatic efforts towards European solutions.
Ukraine in the EU
Bayrou addressed the Assembly to lay out the government's "vision" on a need for European countries to come together, as the US pulls away from its traditional alliance, declaring: "It is up to us, Europeans, to guarantee the security and defence of Europe."
The alliances created after the Second World War are "finished," he said, adding that the European Union is the "only path and the only possible strategy," with France playing a "central role in building this new world".
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The head of each political group in the Assembly then presented their position. Former prime minister Gabriel Attal, head of the Ensemble pour la republique group, which allies itself with Macron, called for an "acceleration" of the process of admitting Ukraine into the EU.
"It is the solution that will enable us to stand up to future exchanges," he said, adding that there should be "safeguarding clauses" to protect agriculture from Ukrainian competition – a concern raised by the far-right National Rally (RN).
Far right on Russia
For their part, the RN's leader, Marine Le Pen, called for "realism" in France’s support for Ukraine, "keeping in mind our own national interests".
She praised the "heroism" of the Ukrainian people against the "indefensible Russian aggression," but reiterated her opposition to Ukraine’s joining either the EU or NATO.
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Throwing out a barb to the government, she added that there should be concern about "France’s gradual abandoning of its unique role as a balancing power" and blamed what she called "the consolidation of a Russia-China axis" on "Western intransigence towards Russia in recent years".
Throwing back the barb, Attal denounced what he called the RN’s "capitulatory instinct, saying: "Ukraine is burning, and you are still looking the other way."
He called for France to reconsider its position on frozen Russian assets and use them to "help Ukraine" – a move supported by Boris Vallaud, leader of the Socialists in the Assembly.
"France's position is that these Russian assets... belong notably to the Russian central bank," finance minister Eric Lombard told France Info on Tuesday, adding that to use them to aid Ukraine "would be contrary to international agreements that France and Europe have signed up to".
European defence
The question of European defence is crucial, now that the US has cut off military aid to Ukraine, and the French right would like to see higher spending in this area.
Michel Herbillon, head of the Republicans (LR) in the Assembly, agreed with Attal that the defence budget should be exempt from the 3 percent deficit limit. He also called for a "massive reorientation" towards European military equipment, as "nearly two-thirds of European defence purchases are made from American manufacturers".
At the other end of the political spectrum, Cyrielle Chatelain, leader of the Ecologist MPs, echoed this, saying she wants the EU to become "a political and military force" and to commit to supplying equipment, training soldiers and to "the reinforcement of European troops in countries bordering Ukraine".
For their part, Socialist leader Vallaud called for "a major joint loan of €500 billion".
'Absurd' figures
The disagreement on spending came from the political extremes – on the left and right.
"These discussions of abstract figures are absurd," said Aurélien Saintoul of the hard-left France Unbowed (LFI), who criticised France's joining of NATO's integrated command in 2008.
He agreed that France was too "critically dependent on the United States" but said the solution was not to outspend it. Instead, he called on a France to "reverse the logic of competition and predation on the planet".
He also added that international law requires "the same support to the Palestinian people" be given as to Ukraine – an idea backed by Chatelain.
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Le Pen said that European security should come not from a European defence, "but from the concerted reinforcement of each of Europe's defences" and argued strongly against France sharing its nuclear arsenal.
While Macron has opened the idea of sharing France’s nuclear deterrence with other countries, as a so-called "nuclear umbrella", he has said that France would remain "totally sovereign" when it comes to any decision to use the weapons.
"To share deterrence is to abolish it," Le Pen told the Assembly. "Triggering the use of nuclear weapons is inextricably linked to national and popular legitimacy."
