ALAIN JOCARD / AFP
Le Pen tries to justify these old RN votes on Navalny in the European Parliament – Marine Le Pen and Jordan Bardella photographed during the 50th anniversary of the National Front (RN) in the Assembly in September 2022 (illustration)
POLITICS – Explanations of vote. A year, almost to the day, before the death of Alexeï Navalny, announced on Friday February 16, the National Rally refused to vote in the European Parliament on a resolution denouncing his conditions of detention in Russia.
A position that the critics of the far-right party do not hesitate to recall at a time when Marine Le Pen and Jordan Bardella claim to mourn the disappearance of the main opponent of Vladimir Putin. Questioned this Sunday on LCI, about her camp’s refusal to support two resolutions of this type in April 2023 and February 15, 2023, the double presidential candidate tried to justify herself.
For her, these texts did not, first of all, “ no effect. » « It depends on the area of sanctions and therefore on the Council, not on the European Parliament “, she explained. Afterwards ” the problem is that in this resolution (from February), there was not only Navalny. It would have only been Navalny, we would have voted », added Marine Le Pen.
On this vote, “Alexeï Navalny served as a pretext”
According to the president of the National Rally group in the Assembly, “ Alexeï Navalny served as a pretext for those who want to influence the positions of everyone in Ukraine, for a generalization with comments that are extremely general and almost everything was put into it. » And added: “ the role of the politician is to know what he is voting for. »
As it happens, the February 2023 resolution was indeed broader than just the case of Alexeï Navalny. The text also demanded the release “ of all political prisoners “, incarcerated in Russia only” for their association with Alexeï Navalny ” Or “ for their opposition to the war of aggression against Ukraine. »
In its final paragraphs, the resolution tabled by the majority of groups in the European Parliament also asked “ Union institutions to continue monitoring the human rights situation in Russia “, of ” support Russian civil society ”, to come to the aid of “ human rights defenders, democracy activists and independent journalists of Russian nationality, whether in Russia or outside the country. »
Finally, the text emphasized that “ Ukraine and democracy in Russia must prevail ”, and insisted on the fact that “ that Vladimir Putin ” has to be “ tried for the crimes he committed against his own people. »
The resolution was adopted, without the votes of the far-right party. Of the eleven MEPs who are members of the National Rally present at the time of the vote, ten abstained. Thierry Mariani voted against while Jordan Bardella was absent.
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