Bruno Retailleau Says Europe Gave Citizens the Impression of Bypassing Democracy

Bruno Retailleau, the Les Républicains candidate for France's 2027 presidential election, said in an interview with Le Monde that Europe's problem is that it has given citizens the impression of bypassing democracy. A figure who moved from the sovereignist right, Retailleau used the interview to lay out his vision of European construction.

Retailleau rejected the idea that he seeks to impose the primacy of French law, a position he said distinguishes his views from those of the far right, according to the interview.

Positioning Within the Right

Retailleau's comments come as he seeks to define his candidacy within a crowded and competitive French right and far-right political landscape ahead of the 2027 presidential election. His background on the sovereignist wing of French politics, combined with his current leadership of Les Républicains, places him in a position where he has sought to distinguish his European policy stance from both mainstream pro-EU positions and further-right euroscepticism.

The interview covered his broader views on how European institutions should relate to national democratic processes, an issue that has featured prominently in French and European political debate as citizen skepticism toward EU institutions has grown in various member states.

Full details of Retailleau's policy proposals on European construction were presented in the complete Le Monde interview.