Before Jordan Bardella’s breakfast with the employers’ organization, scheduled for this Monday, the RN sent a letter to business leaders inviting them to work together, especially on a “major simplification project.”
Sign that the ice is breaking? The nationalist party has been increasing its meetings with the business world lately. This Monday, the leader of the National Rally (RN), Jordan Bardella, is set to have lunch with the Medef, the main employers’ organization. Last week, Marine Le Pen met with the elite of the CAC 40 big bosses. Many see this as a potential warming of relations between the party and the business sector, which had long ignored and shunned the party. “It is normal to discuss proposals to revive our economy,” defended nationalist spokesperson Julien Odoul on Franceinfo Monday morning.
This lunch was organized at the initiative of the Medef, which wants to meet with all parties ahead of the presidential election. Some unions and RN opponents criticize this move as breaking a barrier. On Sunday, the general secretary of the CFDT, Marylise Leon, lamented this meeting: “I think it is cynical and I think it is illusory,” she mocked on France Inter, announcing that her union will refuse any meeting with the RN.
“And taking the opportunity to criticize the disastrous balance sheet of Macron’s two terms: “We had finance Mozarts who messed up the score.” This meeting, “should be the posture of all unions,” according to the nationalist MP. “If (Marylise Leon) wants to remain enclosed in her ideology, in her sectarianism, that’s up to her. I think that among her members, there may be a large number of RN voters and perhaps some people are interested, curious to know what we propose and have a responsible debate,” countered the parliamentarian.
“We are open to discussing and exchanging with everyone, including people who politically oppose us,” said Julien Odoul. Before adding: “We should be able to talk to each other and express our proposals. The French people and the unions form their opinions.” It remains to be seen if the party president and potential presidential candidate – in case Marine Le Pen is declared ineligible, which will be decided on July 7 – will be more convincing than his mother.
