French far-right leader Marine Le Pen and National Rally president Jordan Bardella condemned Moscow on September 19 after Russia placed the local assets of French retailer Auchan and Swiss food giant Nestlé under temporary administration. The two politicians described the move as a “hostile act” against French and European interests and said it directly infringed the rights of European companies operating in Russia. The statement comes as France heads towards presidential elections in April 2027, with the first round scheduled for April 18. “We will never tolerate a foreign power, in this case Russia, that hopes to dictate our country’s policy directly or indirectly through intimidation, threats, destabilization or psychological pressure,” Le Pen and Bardella said in a joint statement. They added that no Russian provocation or covert operation should lead France to help Moscow achieve its war goals in Ukraine, while emphasizing that questions about the level and conditions of French support for kyiv remain legitimate topics of domestic political debate. His statement followed Russian President Vladimir Putin’s decision to place Nestlé and Auchan’s Russian operations under temporary administration. The Kremlin transferred control of the companies to Russian management under a mechanism Moscow has previously used against Western companies. Russia introduced the mechanism in 2023 for assets belonging to companies from countries it considers “hostile.” In previous cases, companies belonging to French dairy producer Danone and Danish brewer Carlsberg were placed under temporary administration before being transferred or sold to Russian owners. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov described the latest seizures as a response to what Moscow views as hostile actions by European countries, including sanctions and European support for Ukraine. Nestle said it was evaluating its options and seeking to protect its employees and business interests. Le Pen and Bardella linked the asset seizures to what they described as a broader deterioration in Europe’s security environment. They cited the attempted explosive drone attack on Leipzig/Halle airport in Germany, which German authorities have attributed to Russia, as well as recent warnings from European governments about possible Russian hybrid operations against countries that support Ukraine. Le Pen and Bardella said France should strengthen protection of strategic infrastructure, sensitive facilities and the defense industry. “France’s foreign policy is decided in Paris,” they said, adding that it cannot be determined by Moscow or any other foreign capital.
