HELSINGBORG, Sweden, May 22 (Reuters) - Far-right leader Marine Le Pen said on Friday she would withdraw France from NATO's integrated military command if elected president next year, a stance dismissed by Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot as "irresponsible".
Le Pen, whose 2027 bid hinges on an appeals court ruling later this year, has long said participation in the command structure undermines France's independence and reiterated her position to BFM TV as NATO ministers met in Sweden.
"We have to withdraw from NATO’s integrated command. We should remain in NATO, but leaving the command does not prevent interoperability with allied forces,” she said, criticising what she called Europe’s dependence on U.S. decisions.
"In reality we are dependent on the decisions of (U.S. President) Donald Trump which is regrettable," said Le Pen, whose National Rally party leads opinion polls about a year before the presidential election.
NATO's Integrated Military Command is the alliance's permanent command system, intended to ensure that the 32 member states' military forces can act quickly as a single force.
Arriving at the NATO meeting in Sweden, Barrot said that with Washington reviewing its level of engagement in Europe, it was more important than ever for France and its partners "to assert their vision, develop their capabilities — in short, to Europeanise NATO."
"Calls by certain French political figures for withdrawal from NATO are obviously unreasonable and wholly irresponsible," Barrot said, adding that some allies were "constantly harassed by Russian aggression" and would see it as a betrayal.
'STRATEGIC AUTONOMY'
National Rally's leader Jordan Bardella, a potential presidential candidate, struck a more cautious tone than Le Pen in March, saying he would not pull France out of the command during wartime.
The debate over NATO is longstanding in France, which has traditionally prized "strategic autonomy", with President Emmanuel Macron saying Europe must reduce its reliance on the U.S. for security and defence.
Former President Charles de Gaulle withdrew from NATO’s integrated command in 1966, a move reversed in 2009 during Nicolas Sarkozy's presidency.
A future French leadership that could take a more distant stance from NATO’s structures is a prospect diplomats say would be closely watched in capitals already uneasy about Washington’s long-term commitment to Europe.
Most political blocs, including National Rally, backed increased defence spending in the lower house this week, underscoring a broader push to strengthen France’s military as Russia's war in Ukraine continues.
(Writing by John Irish, Editing by Timothy Heritage)
