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Asharq Al-Awsat
Asharq Al-Awsat
World
Asharq Al-Awsat

France's Le Pen Says She Has No 'Secret Agenda' to Exit EU

French far-right party Rassemblement National (RN) presidential candidate Marine Le Pen (R) speaks to the press next to with French farmer and former president of the local rural syndicate Thierry Blanc (L) during a visit of his grain farm, as part of Le Pen's campaign for the second round of the French presidential election, on April 11, 2022 in Soucy, Burgundy. (AFP)

French far-right presidential candidate Marine Le Pen on Tuesday said she had no "secret agenda" for France to leave the European Union, even if her attempts to reform the bloc fail.

"I don't have a secret agenda," Le Pen told France Inter radio.

"I think a large majority of French people no longer want the European Union as it exists today, which is a European Union that functions in an absolutely undemocratic way, which advances by threat, by blackmail and which implements policies that are against the interests of the people."

Le Pen has ditched past plans to haul France out of the EU, its free-movement Schengen zone and the euro.

However, she remains deeply euro-skeptic. She says she would renegotiate the agreement on Schengen and increase the number of customs agents, re-introducing checks on goods entering the country from other EU states.

She says such a move would be to fight against "fraud" but analysts say it raises questions over friction-free trade within the EU's single market.

Ultimately, Le Pen envisages the EU as an alliance of member states.

Asked if she would leave the EU if all her attempts to reform the bloc fail, Le Pen replied: "Not at all."

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