French far-right leader Jordan Bardella senses an opening for a right-wing coalition to tear down the European Green Deal.
Bardella, chairman of the European Parliament’s far-right Patriots for Europe grouping and president of Marine Le Pen’s National Rally, said Monday morning that he would ask Manfred Weber, leader of the center-right European People’s Party, to “join forces” and halt the European Union’s efforts to curb climate change.
Bardella’s move, made during his New Year’s address to the French press, comes after EPP leaders attacked the bloc’s green legislation last week.
Describing the Green Deal, a package of measures aiming to make the EU climate-neutral by 2050, as a constraint on economic growth, he also cited the return of United States President Donald Trump as a reason for putting environmental legislation on hold.
Bardella said he would write to Weber as well as the leaders of the far-right Europe of Sovereign Nations and right-wing European Conservatives and Reformists groupings to “propose we join forces to propose the suspension of the Green Deal in response to the extremely attractive measures for the economy and for businesses … that Donald Trump is going to introduce in the United States.”
The European far right has long opposed the Green Deal. But Bardella’s comments came after several leading EPP figures — as well as France’s centrist government — demanded revisions or outright repeals of core Green Deal legislation last week.
He specifically cited Polish President Donald Tusk’s recent criticism of EU climate measures, saying he had “listened with interest” to the EPP politician’s remarks.
The EPP has shown willingness to work with the far right in recent months, but center-right politicians have so far steered clear of calling the entire Green Deal or the EU’s climate targets into question.
Still, Bardella appears to think he can win them over. “I call on my colleagues, particularly in the EPP, to have a bit of courage and think about France’s competitiveness, our businesses and obviously French workers,” he said.
Sarah Paillou contributed reporting.
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