Macron tells Le Pen to ‘stay humble’ as France prepares for 2027 election

French president warns that ending aid to Ukraine would put national and European security at risk, as the National Rally leader sets out plans to reduce financial support.

French President Emmanuel Macron has urged Marine Le Pen to “stay humble” ahead of France’s 2027 presidential election, criticising the National Rally leader’s proposals to end financial assistance to Ukraine and reduce France’s contribution to the European Union.

Speaking to reporters after an EU leaders’ summit in Brussels on Friday, Macron said political figures should not speak as though they had already secured office, stressing that the French electorate would ultimately decide who leads the country.

“Let’s show some respect for the men and women of France. They will vote. Stay humble,” he said.

The remarks followed Le Pen’s announcement that, if elected president, she would maintain financial aid to Ukraine for six months before ending it. Speaking in Brussels on Wednesday, she argued that France could no longer afford to continue the assistance. The proposal places Ukraine funding and the country’s wider relationship with the EU among the issues likely to feature prominently in the presidential campaign.

Macron rejected the argument that withdrawing support would be a straightforward way to reduce public expenditure. He said abandoning financial assistance to Kyiv would undermine European security and, in particular, the security of French citizens.

His response reflects the French government’s position that support for Ukraine is linked to France’s own strategic interests, rather than being solely a question of financial solidarity.

Le Pen has also signalled that she would seek to reduce France’s financial contribution to the European Union if she won the presidency. Her proposals come amid wider disagreements among EU governments over long-term budget priorities and the funding required to sustain Ukraine’s defence against Russia.

France’s presidential election is scheduled to begin with the first round on 18 April 2027, followed by a run-off on 2 May if no candidate wins an outright majority. Macron, who has served the maximum two consecutive terms permitted under the French Constitution, will leave office at the end of his presidency.

Le Pen’s proposals therefore raise questions that extend beyond the domestic contest: how a future French government would balance fiscal pressures, national sovereignty and France’s commitments to European partners.

For Ukraine, any substantial reduction in French assistance could add to the challenge of securing sustained international support. For the EU, a change in Paris’s approach could affect negotiations over common funding and the bloc’s collective response to the war.

The election outcome remains for French voters to determine. Macron’s intervention, however, underlines how Ukraine policy and the future direction of France’s European engagement are becoming central points of political contest ahead of the vote.

Sources

• Agence France-Presse, via BSS, 17 October 2026.
• ANSA, “Macron, ‘Le Pen resti umile, i francesi devono ancora votare’”, 16 October 2026.
• Reuters, “France sets presidential election dates”, 1 July 2026.
• Reuters, EU budget negotiations and France’s planned reduction in its EU contribution, 16 October 2026.