French President Emmanuel Macron's Renaissance party sought to cast the country's far-right forces as bedfellows of the Kremlin as they launched their campaign for the European Parliamentary elections at the weekend.
Macron, who plans to join the campaign at a later stage, has asked his ministers to fight the National Rally (RN) "every step of the way" as he tries to curb the rapid rise of the far right.
The National Rally, headed up by 28-year-old Jordan Bardella, is leading Macron's centrist alliance by a wide margin ahead of the June elections.
"They [the far right] have always said 'no' to Europe," Prime Minister Gabriel Attal said speaking in Lille on Saturday.
"The only difference now is that they are hiding it a little and the 'no' has turned into a 'nyet'," he added, accusing the RN of flirting with Russian leader Vladimir Putin.
In France's polarised political landscape, Russia's war against Ukraine has emerged as a major hot topic.
Edouard Philippe, Macron's former prime minister and leader of the Horizons party, also warned about the risks of appeasement when it comes to Russia.
He cited British statesman Winston Churchill as he castigated those he said were "feeding a crocodile" hoping it will eat them "last".
🔥 Arrivée de notre tête de liste @ValerieHayer et du Premier ministre @GabrielAttal ! #BesoindEuropeLille #ValerieHayer pic.twitter.com/6cpCgiqe3A
— Besoin d'Europe (@BesoindEurope) March 9, 2024
Ukraine 'hot topic' for French electorate
Macron has been seeking to hammer home the importance of greater support for Ukraine and recently caused an uproar by refusing to rule out the dispatch of Western ground troops to the ex-Soviet country.
But members of the opposition have accused Macron of using the conflict to boost his coalition's standing ahead of the European elections.
In an apparent response to Macron, Putin has warned of a "real" risk of nuclear war.
The European elections are seen as a key milestone ahead of France's next presidential election in 2027.
veteran candidate Marine Le Pen is expected to mount a fourth bid for the top job and Macron cannot stand again due to term limits.
'Act or suffer'
Macron has picked Valerie Hayer, the 37-year-old head of the Renaissance group in the European Parliament, to lead his camp in the European polls.
Speaking in Lille, she also attacked the RN and said her camp's responsibility was to thwart "this worst-case scenario".
"In this campaign we will be the only ones to defend Europe," she said.
"In three months, we will face a choice: act or suffer, strengthen our Europe or give up in the face of those who want to tear it down," Hayer added.
