Politics. Marine Le Pen wants to be invited to the consultations on New Caledonia

The Élysée Palace announced on Tuesday evening that the head of state would invite "stakeholders from New Caledonia" to Paris from mid-June, to try to find an agreement between pro-independence and non-pro-independence supporters after the failure in early May of negotiations led by Overseas Minister Manuel Valls .

"I think it would be a good thing if I could actually participate in these consultations," Marine Le Pen told reporters on the sidelines of a visit to the SLN nickel plant in Noumea, citing her "40%" score in the 2022 presidential election in New Caledonia and the fact that she was a "candidate" again in 2027.

"Therefore, tomorrow I may be led, if I am elected, if the French people trust me, to play an active role in the decisions that could be taken," argued Marine Le Pen, whose appeal is due to be heard in the first half of 2026. At the end of March, she was sentenced at first instance to five years of immediate ineligibility in the case of assistants to National Rally MEPs.

Asked about the possibility of being accompanied during these discussions by Jordan Bardella , the president of the far-right party who makes no secret of his presidential ambitions in the event of Marine Le Pen being "unable to attend", the latter snapped: "I'm not sure that Jordan is very familiar with the problems of New Caledonia. We share our talents."

The president of the RN group in the National Assembly said she wanted "moderation" and to represent "a middle way" between "a radicalism of some of the separatists, but also a radicalism of some of the loyalists" in New Caledonia. "I am modest, I am not saying that I will solve the problem, I am saying that I think I can make my contribution," Marine Le Pen emphasized. She then stated, before a meeting with business leaders, that she would "write to the President of the Republic upon (her) return to Paris" at the end of the week to be at the table for discussions.