Photo : Collected
French President Emmanuel Macron faced accusations of transphobia on Wednesday after criticising an election manifesto while the far-right RN party's leader pledged to honour France's international commitments including on NATO.
With less than two weeks to go before the first round in the snap elections called by Macron in response to the far right drubbing his party in European polls, the president's party is trailing badly.
Opinion polls forecast his ruling alliance would come third in the legislative elections on June 30 -- followed by a second round on July 7 -- behind the far-right National Rally (RN) and a new left-wing alliance.
This could make RN leader Jordan Bardella prime minister in an awkward "cohabitation" with Macron, although the 28-year-old has insisted he will only accept this if his party and allies win an absolute majority of seats.
Visiting a major defence show outside Paris, Bardella insisted he does "not plan to question the commitments France has made on the international stage" on defence if he takes power.
He added that France would keep up weapons deliveries to Ukraine under an RN government -- although long-range missiles and other arms that could hit Russian territory would be ruled out to "avoid any escalation risk".
"Our credibility towards our European partners and NATO allies is at stake," he said at the Eurosatory arms trade show, moderating the far right's historic hostility to the US-led alliance.
Opponents have long pointed to a massive loan the RN received from a Russian bank in 2014, which it has since repaid, and the past warm relationship between its figurehead Marine Le Pen and the Kremlin.
Messenger/Disha
