NATO intends to maintain unity regardless of election results in France and Germany

Possible changes in the political course of France and Germany following elections will not affect NATO’s unity and strength.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte made the remarks during a meeting with German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul in Berlin.

Rutte was asked how the alliance might change if Germany and France alter their positions on Ukraine following the elections.

“Regardless of the election results, NATO will maintain its unity and strength,” Rutte said during the meeting, a video of which was circulated by The Associated Press.

In recent months, European media have been actively discussing the possibility of opposition forces winning elections in France and Germany and how this could change the countries’ foreign policy priorities.

On September 6, the right-wing opposition Alternative for Germany (AfD) party won the parliamentary elections in the federal state of Saxony-Anhalt. Elections will be held later in September in Berlin and the state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, where, according to opinion polls, the AfD is also popular among the population.

France’s presidential election will be held in April 2027. According to opinion polls, Marine Le Pen, leader of the parliamentary group of the nationalist right-wing National Rally party, is currently in the lead.

Le Pen, like the AfD, actively criticises her country’s foreign policy course, taking a more cautious position on the EU and NATO and advocating intensified efforts towards a diplomatic settlement of the Russia-Ukraine conflict.