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INPRIMATU
Macron and RN leaders hold secret meetings in recent months
  • It is the result of an investigation carried out by the daily Libération: they have met, at least since December, with the relatives of the far-right RN, Jordan Bardella and Marine Le Pen Emmanuel Macron. Clandestine meetings have taken place at the house of Macron's close advisor, Thierry Sole. The Libération investigation serves to better understand the political changes in the French State in recent months, mainly the dissolution of Parliament and the campaign strategy of the Macronists.
Jenofa Berhokoirigoin @Jenofa_B 2024ko uztailaren 10a
Libération-en azaleko argazki muntaketa. Argazkia: Libération eta AFP

The Libération newspaper has put the news on the cover: Research: Secret dinners between macronia [Macron's environment] and the RN". The investigation is the result of journalism and some of the protagonists have confirmed the information: yes, secret meetings have been held in recent months near RN and Emmanuel Macron. Not all of them together, but they have come together on more than one occasion: From the RN to Jordan Bardella and Marine Le Pen, and from the Macron environment to Edouard Philippe, former Prime Minister, and to Sébastien Lecornu, Minister of Armies. According to the sources, clandestine meetings between the macro-federalists and the extreme right have been held at least since December of this year. For example, Edouard Philippe and Marine Le Pen had dinner together in December.

All these meetings were held at the house of Macron's unofficial advisor. Thierry Solère wrote at the 9th Congress of Deputies held in Paris. In your apartment of Arrondization. Solère is a former member of the Republican Party, militarized in the right-wing party, and then entered in the vicinity of Macron, as Presidential Advisor. In 2016 he launched an investigation against him for alleged tax fraud offences. Thus, the magistrate decided in 2022 to leave the fight for the elections to the Basque Parliament, after being prosecuted. But, although not officially, he remains Macron's advisor.

Philippe assumes this exchange with the extreme right: "I like to meet people. Marine Le Pen has made more than 30% of the votes in the presidential elections in Catalonia. Having dinner with him doesn't bother me. A statement, therefore, of umpteenth intention to discredit the danger of the extreme right. The government did not wish to respond to the Libération newspaper, but a Macron counselor warned him: “Solère has an informal role with the president. (...) You can get into the relationship with the right, but Bardella or Le Pen, they're not the president's requests." The truth is that he is a counselor close to Macron and that the relations with RNkoekila have been done in his own house. Despite the evidence and the testimonies, Solère, on the other hand, continues to demine everything.

Among them, the decision to dissolve

The dissolution of the Macron Parliament on 9 June led to the stupor and concern, precisely because of the real risk of the extreme right being brought to power. The multitude of Macronist MEPs from the Ensemble was surprised – including that of the Northern Basque Country, Vincent Bru, who decided not to reintroduce himself. The Libération survey is used to understand some things, even if it does not have all the answers. Jordan Bardella Solère, who was minister of Armies on the night of dissolution, was three days after the dissolution of Parliament and the convening of elections in the presidential house. Solère has been committed to establishing a link between the two parties. In the absence of guarantees, the decision to dissolve may have been taken on the spot or at least by 9 June the locals have been aware of it.

In the campaign of the elections to the Basque Parliament, the "ni-ni" of Macron and its surroundings are also better understood: they have placed the RN and the New Popular Front to the same extent, limiting the unity of the left to the France insubordinate LFI and expanding the image of a dangerous candidate and underestimating the risk of the RN. This dangerous strategy is better understood now.