MOSCOW: Russia is following the election results in France “very closely”, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Monday, after the first round of a snap vote where the far-right National Rally (RN) party, led by Marine Le Pen, won a resounding victory.
The Kremlin spokesman said that Russian officials are closely monitoring the election results in France, noting that the preferences of French voters are becoming clearer. “The preferences of French voters are more or less clear to us,” said Dmitry Peskov.
Russian officials said the results of the French elections would be judged alongside political developments elsewhere, including upcoming votes in the US and UK.
The RN’s strong performance in the initial round has positioned it ahead of President Emmanuel Macron’s centrist alliance, which trailed in third place behind a left-wing coalition.
The outcome of the upcoming second round on July 7 remains crucial, with speculation focused on whether the RN could secure an absolute majority in the new National Assembly, potentially paving the way for Jordan Bardella, a protege of Le Pen, 28, to become prime minister.
Vyacheslav Volodin, speaker of the Russian Duma, highlighted recent political shifts, drawing parallels between the French elections and other global political events. “Last week, we saw Biden lose the debate. And now Macron’s party has lost, coming in third place in the legislative elections. The heads of state in power are suffering resounding defeats,” Volodin remarked.
However, Russian officials and analysts tempered expectations of significant changes in Russia-France relations despite the election outcomes. Vladimir Dzhabarov, vice president of the Foreign Affairs Commission, cautioned against overestimating the influence of the National Rally on French politics. “We should not expect an improvement in relations between Paris and Moscow after the legislative elections,” said Dzhabarov, according to local media.
Meanwhile, analyst Georgy Bovt warned that the RN’s stance on French support for Ukraine is unlikely to shift drastically. “We must not exaggerate the importance of the National Rally and its influence on French politics,” Georgy Bovt on Russian radio BFM. “The leaders of the RN have already made it known that French support for Ukraine would not be called into question,” he recalled.
Polish PM Terms France Election Results “Very Dangerous”
Meanwhile, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk voiced concerns over what he described as a “very dangerous” turn for France and Europe. Tusk raised alarms about potential “Russian influence” in European far-right parties, warning against the rise of radical forces that could destabilize the continent.
“This is all really starting to smell very dangerous,” said former EU chief Tusk, who also made allegations about “Russian influence” in “many parties of the radical right in Europe”. “Even the complete victory of the radical right of Mrs. (Marine) Le Pen’s camp does not signal the loss of power by the centre represented by President (Emmanuel) Macron,” Tusk told reporters in Rzeszow, a vital hub for Western aid to Ukraine.
“But it is a very clear sign of what is happening not only in France, but also in some other countries, also in Western Europe,” he added, without specifying any additional European countries.
The former European Council president also spoke of a “dangerous trend”, and pointed to fears that “France can soon become the sick person of Europe, because it will be forced to confront these radical forces”.
“Foreign forces and enemies of Europe are engaged in this process, hiding behind these movements,” he added, without giving further details.
The preliminary results from France’s first round of elections indicated the RN leading with 33 percent of the vote, followed by 28 percent for the left-wing New Popular Front alliance, and over 20 percent for Macron’s centrist camp. The elections were called after Macron dissolved the National Assembly in a bid to regain control amid domestic challenges.
