France first: Far-right challenger tears into Macron's European vision

French far-right commentator Eric Zemmour, candidate for the 2022 French presidential election, is surrounded by journalists as he delivers a speech at the former "Jungle" camp site during a visit in the northern French city of Calais, France, January 19, 2022. REUTERS/Christian Hartmann

CALAIS, France (Reuters) - Eric Zemmour, the French far-right presidential challenger, on Wednesday said he would seize back control of France's borders from Europe, block European Union free trade negotiations and prevent any further enlargement of the bloc to the east.

Pitching his vision for France's relationship with the EU, Zemmour rubbished President Emmanuel Macron's quest for deeper European cooperation as a folly that put the needs of French citizens in the hands of an illegitimate Brussels elite.