In an assembly hall in Noisy le Grand, Nasjonal Samling is preparing for local election pressure. Denis Cretin-Gielly is the party’s man here in the city, which is about half an hour’s drive from the center of Paris. He became active in the far-right party to defend France’s honor and interests, he says. The candidate believes that it is this willingness to stand up for France as an independent nation that means that the Russian Foreign Ministry this week made it clear who they think should win the elections in France. It is the National Assembly (RN) that is the voice of the people, as Russia sees it. THE CANDIDATE: Denis Cretin-Gielly is running for the National Assembly in Seine Saint-Denis. Photo: Simen Ekern / news – When Russia asks people to vote for us, it is because we represent a people who want to regain their independence. Russia has the same attitudes as us on a number of points, he says. – All countries have the right to support us. That doesn’t mean we agree with everything Putin says. The far-right party is likely to make a good election on Sunday, but several polls have predicted that they will not succeed in getting a clear majority in the National Assembly. Accusations of close ties Cretin-Gielly claims that Russia has no influence on the party he represents. Admittedly, it was unpleasant to have to defend a loan the party had obtained from a Russian bank, but that issue has now been resolved, he assures. However, the accusations of close ties to Russia have by no means disappeared. Earlier this week, the Social Democratic Party’s front man Raphael Glucksmann accused Nasjonal Samling in rather strong terms. He claimed Nasjonal Samling is a “fifth columnist” for Russia’s interests, and that the party functions as Putin’s “servile ally in France”. – It’s just a lie. These are attacks we have heard for a long time now, they are more and more violent, more and more hair-raising. So hair-raising that there is no longer anyone who believes in them, says the Nasjonal Samling politician. Russian trolls and Matryoshka dolls However, the French intelligence service believes that Russia is trying to influence the debate in France. In June, French authorities revealed a new Russian disinformation campaign on social media, dubbed Matryoshka, after the Russian dolls. In a report published last Sunday by the research institute CNRS, other attempts to influence the French election are documented. The researchers have analyzed 700 million Twitter messages to show how foreign accounts have systematically tried to undermine the attempts to form a common French front against the National Assembly. Electoral researcher Jean-Yves Dormagen tells news that it is difficult to prove with certainty the extent to which such influence attempts work. EVERYTHING COUNTS: Election researcher Jean-Yves Dormagen believes it is very difficult to know exactly how big an impact outside influence attempts can have on the election result Photo: Antonia Cimini – We do not have clear studies on how effective such campaigns are in shaping people’s perceptions. But I think everything contributes. Messages that are spread on social media and fake news that is spread by internet trolls – it is not difficult to imagine that it has an impact, says Dormagen. A gift to Putin What will it really mean for Russia to have the National Assembly in a position of power in France? Political scientist Dominique Moïsi has no doubts when news meets him in the premises of the research institute Montaigne in the center of Paris. CONCERNED: Political scientist Dominique Moïsi believes a National Assembly victory in the election on Sunday will be “a godsend for Vladimir Putin” Photo: Simen Ekern / news – It will be one of the best possible news for them, says Moïsi. – Not only do they have the joker Trump, who is approaching power, thanks to the support of the Supreme Court. But that this can happen now, in a key country in Europe, a country which in recent months has become particularly “anti-Russian” … The political scientist pauses. – This political revolution will be God’s gift to Putin. Changed signals Nasjonal Samling talks differently about Russia now than a few years ago. After the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Marine Le Pen has tried to change the impression that she is close to the Kremlin. – It is a much too sudden change for us to take it seriously yet. There are many reasons to doubt what Bardella and Le Pen say about Ukraine, believes the political scientist. As head of the National Assembly, Jordan Bardella is the party’s candidate for prime minister. Marine Le Pen, for her part, is considered a likely presidential candidate for the party in 2027. Moïsi points out that Marine Le Pen says she will reserve the right to override the president’s foreign and defense policy line if her party wins the prime ministership. It testifies to a willingness to reinterpret the French constitution, he believes. – Is it also a signal to Putin that France’s line in the Ukraine war will change? – It can be interpreted as such. Will not send weapons Back at the election meeting in Noisy le Grand, Denis Cretin-Gielly tells that he believes it is obvious that things must change when it comes to support for Ukraine. INSPIRATION: Denis Cretin-Giely refines the speech together with a colleague. Photo: Simen Ekern / news – We will not be drawn into a war that does not concern us. – Do you want to stop support for Ukraine? – We can support Ukraine, but with diplomacy and humanitarian aid, perhaps. But certainly not by sending soldiers or weapons. Because it is a strong signal that we are going to war against Russia. – You don’t want to send weapons? – Well, if we send weapons, it is for them to be used against Russia. And then Russia can think that they are being attacked by France. Published 07/07/2024, at 12.11
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Russia hopes for far-right victory in the French election – news Urix – Foreign news and documentaries
