Asked about a possible cohabitation of the Head of State with Jordan Bardella the day after the legislative elections, Marine Le Pen affirms that the title of “chief of the armed forces” is “honorary”.
What will happen in the event of cohabitation? If the National Rally wins the legislative elections of June 30 and July 7Marine Le Pen assures that Emmanuel Macron “will not be able to send troops” to Ukraine. “Head of the armed forces, for the president, it is an honorary title since it is the Prime Minister who holds the purse strings”, affirms Marine Le Pen in the columns of the Telegram this Wednesday, June 26.
“Jordan [Bardella] does not intend to pick a quarrel with him, but he has set red lines. On Ukraine, the president will not be able to send troops,” warns the former candidate for the Élysée.
Article 15 and article 21 of the Constitution
“The President of the Republic is the head of the armies”, is a sentence from the fifteenth article of the Constitution of the Fifth French Republic. This article also indicates that the head of state “chairs the councils and higher committees of National Defense”.
“As guarantor of national independence, territorial integrity and respect for treaties, the Head of State decides on the use of forces and for this purpose holds the responsibility and the power to engage the if necessary, nuclear forces”, specifies the site vie-publique.fr.
“Moreover, the Head of State chairs the Nuclear Policy Council and the Defense and National Security Council, competent for all matters of defense and security. He has the authority to appoint ‘military posts of the State’ “, we can read.
On the other hand, “the Prime Minister directs the action of the government. He is responsible for national defense”, according to article 21 of the Constitution.
The vie-publique site also indicates that the President of the Republic “cannot” declare war without the agreement of Parliament. As for France’s external military operations (OPEX), they are decided by the President of the Republic. “But, during a period of cohabitation, the Prime Minister can oppose it.”
