“Now France is a reliable ally of Ukraine in the war against Russia. In this country, the president manages foreign policy and security, so it is Emmanuel Macron who will determine France’s position on Ukraine. But the parliament can limit his actions, since it is parliamentarians who pass bills and decide whether to finance the president’s proposals”.

Leonid Litra, Senior Research Fellow at the New Europe Center, explains on the pages of Babel how France’s policy towards Ukraine may change after the parliamentary elections.

On June 30, 2024, the first round of early elections to the French parliament was held, where the far-right alliance led by the National Rally (33.15% of the vote), known for its anti-Ukrainian position and criticism of the policy of President Emmanuel Macron, is leading. The president’s Ensemble alliance took only third place (20.04%).

According to Leonid Litra, due to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the rhetoric of the National Rally has partially changed, since “supporting Russia now is a crime.” If the far-right still wins a majority in parliament, they will not be able to radically change French policy and completely stop helping Ukraine. France still has a high level of support for Ukraine among the population, and the National Association “will have to take this into account”, the expert says.