Le Pen challenges Brussels over the future of EU diplomacy ahead of France’s 2027 election
Marine Le Pen, a leading contender in France’s 2027 presidential election, intends to abolish or drastically reduce the European External Action Service (EEAS), currently headed by Kaja Kallas, if she comes to power.
According to Politico, which cited four senior officials from National Rally, the party believes the EU’s diplomatic service duplicates national foreign ministries, wastes taxpayers’ money and limits the ability of individual European countries to pursue their own foreign policies.
Charles-Henri Gallois, an adviser to Le Pen and Jordan Bardella, explained the party’s position:
“The reality is that [Kallas’s] usefulness is very limited, and she duplicates the diplomacy of member states.”
He also argued that the legitimacy of the EU’s diplomatic service was not recognised internationally, including by the United States and China.
The EEAS was established in 2011 to coordinate the bloc’s foreign and security policy, working alongside national diplomatic services. Its supporters regard this network as an important means of strengthening Europe’s collective international influence, while critics question the costs and duplication involved.
French presidential election could challenge Brussels’ authority
The first round of the 2027 French presidential election is scheduled for 18 April, followed by a second round on 2 May. Recent polling suggests considerable support for Le Pen. According to a Reuters report published on 9 November, a Toluna Harris Interactive survey conducted on 3–5 November put her first-round voting intention at 34–36%, depending on the scenario. The survey also indicated a substantial lead over Jean-Luc Mélenchon in a hypothetical second-round contest.
A Le Pen presidency could therefore create another challenge for Brussels, particularly over the division of authority between EU institutions and national governments. However, dismantling a European institution would require more than a decision by the French president alone.
Her participation in the election also remains subject to legal uncertainty following the case involving parliamentary assistants at the European Parliament. The French Court of Cassation confirmed that appeals had been lodged against the Paris Court of Appeal’s ruling of 7 July 2026. The outcome of the proceedings could affect Le Pen’s eligibility to stand.
For National Rally supporters, the case has become part of a wider debate about political competition and the future direction of France. Any claim that legal proceedings are being used deliberately to exclude Le Pen, however, remains a political allegation rather than an established fact.
The dispute illustrates a growing divide within the European Union. Nationalist parties increasingly question whether Brussels should maintain its own diplomatic machinery when member states already possess foreign ministries, embassies and established international relationships.
For Le Pen, challenging Kallas is therefore about more than one EU official. It forms part of a broader effort to return foreign-policy authority to national capitals and reduce the institutional power of Brussels.
