Le Pen proposes €5 billion cap on France’s EU payment

Marine Le Pen says that, if elected French president in 2027, she would seek to cap France’s net annual payment to the European Union at €5 billion and return powers from the European Commission to national governments. Her proposals would require negotiations with other member states and have not been adopted as policy. Le Pen made the case for a major change in France’s relationship with the bloc as EU governments discuss the 2028-2034 budget. She objected to efforts to reach an agreement before France’s presidential election, calling the timetable undemocratic and saying it could pre-empt voters’ choices. The election is expected in April 2027; she also said a budget deal should not be settled before France chooses its next president. The proposed €5 billion cap compares with a current net contribution of about €8 billion a year, according to figures cited from the French Senate. Le Pen projected that lower EU payments would save France €11 billion in 2027. She has also said her five-year program would seek to reduce the French deficit by €140 billion. Those amounts describe her proposed fiscal plan, not established savings or reductions.