European Parliament Influence Expansion of the RN Amid Health Quarantine Measures
"Down in the heart of the European Parliament's canteen in Strasbourg, Marine Le Pen's advisor, Philippe Olivier, sprawls out his convictions of a dominating, autocratic, and ruinous European Union," says the voice of a man who believes in the grit of his nationalist algorithm, but remains hesitant to jump into the lawmaking grind: "I ain't fooling myself, we don't hold much sway over those texts. But I stand firm in my belief in our influence on public opinion: we shake things up, we're the thorn in the side of the Europhiles. We ain't part of backroom deals, we don't try to butter them up..."
A stone's throw away, his accomplice Fabrice Leggeri, the RN's puppeteer in the European Parliament, is hurdling toward an agreement with the president of the mighty committee on internal affairs, the Spaniard Javier Zarzalejos. United they stand, the former helmsman of the European Agency for Border and Coast Guard (Frontex), a seasoned observer of the European technostructure, and the PP party (right) bureaucrat have orchestrated some underhanded tricks on the pro-European faction led by the European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen ever since the rights-wing surge in the European elections on June 9, 2024.
The shadows cast by Philippe Olivier and Fabrice Leggeri dance wildly across the political stage of the EU.
Olivier brandishes his nationalist sword, challenging the mainstream EU narrative while retaining his identity as a staunch nationalist. He admits to modest legislative impact, focusing instead on confronting pro-EU ideologies at the public level. Olivier's game is one of provocation, sharpening his critique, and questioning the legitimacy of the EU's present integration process[2].
Meanwhile, Leggeri strides through the corridors of power, forging alliances and exerting pressure by negotiating with crucial EU officials like Zarzalejos[2][4]. Utilizing his grasp of EU institutions and their dynamics, Leggeri advances the RN's positions on migration, border control, and security, jeopardizing the authority of the pro-European majority led by President von der Leyen's European Commission[2][4].
United, the duo maintains a two-pronged approach, combining electoral and legislative action with a broader nationalist storyline geared toward dismantling the EU's legitimacy and authority[5]. They encapsulate the RN's wider program which seeks to counter globalization, advocate for economic protectionism, and reconsider or even exit the European Union[5].
In essence, while Olivier focuses on shaping public opinion and ideological discourse beyond the official legislative process, denying political concessions, Leggeri weaves his way through the EU's institutional complexities, exerting pressure and manipulating policies from within[2][4][5].
"This political dance, depicted by Philippe Olivier and Fabrice Leggery, unfolds on the stage of EU policy-and-legislation, seeking to challenge and alter the mainstream narrative on the union's direction."
""Olivier, the nationalist advocate, aims to reshape public opinion, while Leggery, the RN's strategist, navigates the intricate corridors of the European Parliament to shape policies and advance their positions on crucial issues like migration, border control, and security."
