Marine Le Pen, leader of France’s far-right National Rally party, has announced her intention to withdraw France from NATO’s integrated military command should she be elected president in 2027. This statement was made during an interview on BFM TV, coinciding with a NATO ministers’ meeting in Sweden.
Le Pen emphasized the need for France to remain a member of NATO while advocating for a separation from its command structure. She argued that such a move would not hinder cooperation with allied forces.
“We must exit NATO’s integrated command. We should remain in NATO, but leaving the command does not prevent interaction with allied forces,” she stated.
Her position reflects a long-standing belief that participation in NATO’s integrated command undermines France’s sovereignty, criticizing what she perceives as Europe’s dependence on U.S. decisions.
“In reality, we are dependent on the decisions of (U.S. President) Donald Trump, and that is regrettable,” Le Pen added.
Le Pen’s candidacy for the 2027 elections is contingent upon a decision from an appeals court expected by the end of 2026. Currently, her party leads in opinion polls ahead of the presidential elections. Jordan Bardella, the party’s potential presidential candidate and Le Pen’s successor, expressed a more cautious stance in March 2026, stating that he would not withdraw France from NATO’s command during wartime.
NATO’s integrated military command is a permanent management system that facilitates rapid joint action among the armed forces of its 32 member countries.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barbier, who attended the NATO meeting in Sweden, highlighted that the U.S. is currently reassessing its level of involvement in Europe. He underscored the importance for France and its partners to advocate for their vision and develop their capabilities, emphasizing the need to “Europeanize NATO.”
“Calls from some French political figures for a withdrawal from NATO are clearly imprudent and entirely irresponsible,” the minister remarked.
He further noted that several allies are “constantly suffering from Russian aggression” and would view such a move as a betrayal.
Le Pen leads the National Rally, a party founded by her father, Jean-Marie Le Pen, who served in the French and European Parliaments and ran for the presidency three times. In 2002, he reached the second round of the presidential election, losing to Jacques Chirac. Le Pen has similarly faced defeat in the second round against Emmanuel Macron in both the 2017 and 2022 elections.
Le Pen has supported Russia’s foreign policy regarding Ukraine and Syria and has frequently opposed anti-Russian sanctions. In March 2025, a court found her guilty of misappropriating nearly three million euros in European Parliament funds, resulting in a four-year suspended sentence and a five-year disqualification from public office, which currently bars her from running in the 2027 presidential election. Her lawyer has filed an appeal.
Following the early parliamentary elections in 2024, called after President Macron dissolved the parliament, Le Pen’s party secured over 33% in the first round but finished third in terms of seats after the second round.
In November 2025, Le Pen stated that she would not participate in the 2027 presidential election if the appeals court does not lift her election ban. In that case, she indicated she would pass leadership to her ally, Bardella.
Marine Le Pen has announced plans to withdraw France from NATO's integrated military command if elected president in 2027, a position criticized by French officials. Her candidacy remains uncertain pending a court decision, while her party leads in current polls.