Macron's stubbornness has handed a major win to Marine le Pen... and the stakes could not be higher - analysis by Millie Cooke
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Emmanual Macron has found himself in a five-year stand-off with EU liberals, despite being their most powerful national leader, and it could well come back to bite him.
ALDE, the pan-European liberal alliance, existed long before Macron was elected President of France. It is currently the fourth-largest party in the European Parliament.
As far-right groups across France gain traction, his decision to keep them at arm's length is becoming increasingly misguided.
Especially as it is now handing a tangible win to national rival Marine Le Pen.
Emmanual Macron has found himself in a five year stand off with EU liberals - despite being their most powerful national leader
PA
As Macron's MEP's are not part of any EU-level party, they're boosting the amount of funding the EU has available to give to parties - including Le PEn's Identity and Democracy party.
A source told Politico that the liberal family could be losing out on as much as €1 million per year.
Wouter Wolfs, a lecturer at KU Leuven university, warned: "This indeed benefits the other Europarties, including the radical right".
Macron's refusal to join the alliance is surprising - given the stakes for him in France couldn't be higher.
Leaked polling published last week suggested that Marine Le Pen would win a majority in France’s parliament if National Assembly elections were held now.
The secret poll, conducted by Ipsos and commissioned by the centre-Right Les Republicains, showed that her National Rally party would win up to 305 seats, landing her a majority for the first time.
Macron's refusal to join the alliance is surprising - given the stakes for him in France couldn't be higher
PA
Macron's party, however, would be nearly halved, according to an Ipsos survey commissioned by the centre-right Les Republicains.
In 2019, Macron ruled out teaming up with ALDE after it emerged the group had received funds from U.S. seed maker Monsanto, now part of German chemicals group Bayer.
The French President said: "None of our European lawmakers will sit in the next legislature within a political group or European political movement which tolerates such financing."
In response, ALDE said it would end the sponsorship of congresses by private companies.
But, years on, Macron is still yet to budge on his decision to steer clear of any alliance with ALDE. Perhaps with warnings like this in the polls, Macron will change his tune.
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