‘Resounding Failure’: Marine Le Pen Says Britain’s Departure From EU Marks End of the Union

On 31 January, the United Kingdom became the first country to leave the European Union after more than four decades in the bloc and its preceding organisations, marking the start of a new era as well as potentially spelling the beginning of new challenges for the political and economic entity comprised of 27 remaining states.

The president of France’s National Rally party, Marine Le Pen, said that the day of Britain’s historic exit from the European Union on 31 January should signify the beginning of the formation of a “European alliance of nations”, something that the politician claimed Europeans overwhelmingly wish for.

“This European Union will go down in history as a resounding failure!” Marine Le Pen wrote on her Twitter in French.

Ce jour de #Brexit doit marquer le début de la construction de l'Alliance européenne des Nations que nous appelons de nos voeux et que les peuples européens souhaitent dans leur grande majorité.

Cette Union européenne restera dans l'Histoire comme un échec retentissant ! MLP pic.twitter.com/waNxnMpDUj

— Marine Le Pen (@MLP_officiel) February 1, 2020

The daughter of Jean-Marie Le Pen, the founder of the National Rally party - formerly known as the National Front, Marine Le Pen has always been a vocal opponent of EU federalism and globalism, calling for a referendum on France’s status within the bloc and defending a less constraining confederation of independent European nations. Le Pen has also repeatedly argued that multiculturalism has failed in Europe and French society in particular, while also slamming NATO and urging her country to leave the American sphere of influence.

On Friday, Great Britain finally departed from the European Union in accordance with its withdrawal agreement, after more than three years of heated discussion and debate. Brexit will still be followed by a transition period of 11 months of economic and legal talks between Britain and the remaining 27 EU member states, with French President Emmanuel Macron earlier indicating that he would soon visit the UK to discuss bilateral relations between the two states.