One of France’s leading opposition politicians is reported to be in favour of building a Trump-style wall around the perimeter of the European Union in a bid to curb illegal migration.
François-Xavier Bellamy, who is leader of centre-right Les Républicains in the upcoming European elections, has focused the party’s campaign on two main areas: migration and European sovereignty.
Speaking on May 14, Mr Bellamy said in order to rediscover its strength again, “the European Union must profoundly change its course”.
Speaking at a news conference in France, he said: “Our entire continent is going through a deep crisis. And the issue is twofold: Europe’s decline in the world, and France’s decline in Europe.”
Meanwhile, the 38-year-old also wants NATO states to ramp up defence spending as a percentage of GDP to three percent – up from the current two percent target.
The senior MEP also said that his candidates would be voting against Ursula von der Leyen remaining head of the European People’s Party (EPP) group, thereby undermining her attempt to secure a second term as EU Commission president.
The EPP is expected to be the largest group in the European Parliament following the EU elections in June, so it will be in prime position to ensure Ms von der Leyen gets a second five-year term.
However, despite being members of the EPP, Les Republicains candidates will not be backing the incumbent Commission president for another term in office.
According to Mr Bellamy: “We do not want to give Ursula von der Leyen a second term of office. The least we can say is that this position is far from marginal, and is shared by a large proportion of the political groupings that make up the EPP.”
However, as it stands Mr Bellamy’s party are trailing in the polls to National Rally, led by Jordan Bardella in the European Parliament.
National Rally is streets ahead of both Les Republicains and President Macron’s Renaissance. As is stands, according to Politico, Mr Bardella’s party is on 31 percent of the vote, Renaissance sits second on 16 percent and Les Republicains sits a sorry fifth on 8 percent.
The European elections are taking place across the bloc from June 6-9.
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