Le Pen Says She Would Drastically Scale Back the EU Diplomatic Service if Elected, Sidelining Kallas
French National Rally leader Marine Le Pen said in Brussels that France will no longer accept the European Commission exercising diplomatic competences, and even less military or intelligence competences. POLITICO Europe reported on November 9, citing four National Rally officials, that if Le Pen wins France's 2027 presidential election she plans to dismantle the European External Action Service, or at least drastically scale it back, and hand foreign policy back to national capitals.
The European External Action Service (EEAS) is the EU's diplomatic arm, set up in 2011 and headquartered in Brussels, with a worldwide network of delegations; it is headed by the EU's foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas. National Rally officials argue that the service duplicates the diplomacy of member states and wastes taxpayers' money. Charles-Henri Gallois, an adviser to party president Jordan Bardella, said Kallas's usefulness is very limited and that she duplicates member states' diplomacy, adding that neither the United States nor China recognises her legitimacy. One National Rally lawmaker called the service a waste of money that provides jobs for friends of friends, and National Rally MEP Jean-Paul Garraud criticised Kallas for what he called very warrior-like language on Ukraine.
An EEAS spokesperson responded that far-right parties across Europe are against the very idea of European cooperation, that EU diplomacy defends European interests including those of France, and that the EU's global delegation network is a major strategic asset. Irish MEP Barry Andrews said that if Le Pen becomes president of France, she will quickly realise that France is a medium-sized country on the global stage.
Putting the plan into practice would not be straightforward. France cannot unilaterally abolish the EEAS, and EU leaders are likely to agree a long-term budget before France votes in April 2027, locking in the service's funding for a further seven years. The National Rally has threatened to cut France's contribution to the EU budget unless Brussels makes concessions. The service has an annual budget of about one billion euros and more than 5,200 staff worldwide, and France has historically been its most steadfast backer.
Le Pen currently leads in the polls. A Toluna Harris Interactive survey published on November 9 put her at between 34% and 36% in the first round of the presidential election, ahead of all other candidates.
Related: France 2027 Presidential Poll: Le Pen Leads the First Round at 34%-36%, Mélenchon Second at 18%-19%
Source: POLITICO Europe
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 法国国民联盟领导人勒庞2026年3月23日摄（资料图）。图：Elekes Andor，CC BY 4.0，经维基共享资源，本站档案图复用 / Marine Le Pen on March 23, 2026 (file photo). Photo by Elekes Andor, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons, GSM archive reuse
