Fabrice Leggeri is a French senior civil servant, politician, and former head of the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex), where he served from 2015 until his resignation in 2022. Since 2024, he has been a Member of the European Parliament for Rassemblement National (Patriots for Europe), sitting in the Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs Committee as well as the Special Committee on the European Democracy Shield. Mr Leggeri was a distinguished speaker at the 5th Geopolitical Summit, co-organized by the Danube Institute and the Heritage Foundation. On the sidelines of the conference, he spoke with Hungarian Conservative about tackling mass migration and the ways in which patriotic forces can rise to power despite the increasingly aggressive pushback of the establishment.

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At the 5th Geopolitical Summit, you outlined a plan to tackle mass migration—border protection, stricter citizenship laws, countering woke ideology, among others. Can this realistically materialize in Europe soon?

Well, as I’m elected in France as a French Member of the European Parliament, I can tell you that in France, more than ever, we are the number-one political force, Rassemblement National (National Rally). Our objective is clear: as soon as we win the election and are able to govern—with an absolute majority and Jordan Bardella as prime minister—or, even better, when we win the presidential elections, we will organize a referendum.

We will ask the French people directly; we will give them the power to decide on migration policy. This has never been done. For the past 50 years, there have only been implicit policies promoting, for example, family reunification for migrants. The French people have never accepted that. We will ask whether French citizenship should be granted by birthright, or whether it should be reserved only for foreigners who truly deserve it. We will also ask questions about social welfare, giving citizens the power to decide whether such benefits should be reserved only for French nationals. So yes, there is a real prospect in France for us to win the election and to enforce the policies I described yesterday.

‘We will ask the French people directly; we will give them the power to decide on migration policy’

At the European level, my understanding is that we can now witness in every election—whether national, regional, or at the European level in June 2024—that sovereigntists, or patriots, are gaining more and more support. We are already the third-largest political group in the European Parliament, with allies such as Viktor Orbán, and with figures like Jordan Bardella, Marine Le Pen, Matteo Salvini, and many other like-minded partners. Of course, it is still a long way before we can enshrine in the EU treaties that nations have the right to historic continuity in their identity. That is still a long struggle.

But if you ask the people demonstrating in the streets, this is exactly what they want. They want to get rid of woke ideology. They want to get rid of the pro-migrant ideology. They simply want a common-sense policy: that our nations should remain as they are, that our identities must endure. And I think what is crucial now is that we must shift the narrative—from an economic narrative to one of identity. We should not be trapped by arguments that we need migration for economic reasons. What is truly at stake is identity. If we fail to protect our identities, then there will be no economy to speak of, because our nations themselves will have been destroyed.

While your support grows in France, we witness an increasing pushback from the political mainstream—whether through legal proceedings against Marine Le Pen in France, efforts to restrict AfD in Germany, or the constant pressure on Viktor Orbán and Hungary at the European level. How do you think right-wing conservative parties can effectively respond to this political witch hunt?

Our political leaders are very clear about this: it’s a fight, and the establishment will use any means against us—dragging us to court if they can, weaponising the so-called rule of law. This is exactly what we see when the European Commission instrumentalizes the rule of law against national governments—against Hungary, against Viktor Orbán. I also witnessed how Brussels used it against Poland when Law and Justice was in power. And I have no doubt that if tomorrow Marine Le Pen and Jordan Bardella are in charge of France, the European Commission will immediately begin to harass us politically with the same rule of law narrative.

But we are stronger, because we know we represent the will of the people. We represent the common-sense aspiration of our nations: the simple, legitimate desire to exist, to preserve our traditions and our identity. And we also insist on a very basic principle: those who want to come must first obtain permission. Illegal border crossings can never be tolerated. Breaking our rules can never be tolerated.

If we invite people to come, and they respect our laws, contribute through work, and accept our culture and values, then they can be granted citizenship. But if they reject our way of life, they should not even receive a residence permit. They should not be legalized after arriving illegally, as most do today.

Look at the reality: in Brussels, in the suburbs of Paris, in Marseille, in parts of Belgium, the Netherlands, or Germany, more and more women are forced to wear the niqab. This is simply unacceptable. It does not reflect our nations, and it certainly does not reflect European civilization. We must be clear: integration means respecting our rules, our culture, our civilization. Anything else is incompatible with Europe’s survival.

With massive anti-immigration marches in London, Paris, and beyond, how long can Europe’s elites resist this sentiment—and what are the consequences if they do?

I think the establishment knows very well that it has lost the citizens. That is why it reacts the way it does. Take Emmanuel Macron, for example. He did everything possible to prevent us from governing France. He built an artificial alliance with the far left, people who openly campaign and march under the Palestinian, even Hamas, flag. Macron relied on their support simply to block our candidates in certain constituencies. That is the only reason why, in July 2024, we were denied an outright majority and why Jordan Bardella could not be appointed prime minister. So yes—the establishment knows it has lost the people.

And yet, I am confident. I come from the civil service, and when Jordan Bardella announced that he had placed me number three on the list for the European elections, I was curious to see how my former colleagues would react. Many reached out to me, saying: ‘This gives us hope. This shows that things are changing.’ A lot of them are absolutely convinced that we need another course—and that Marine Le Pen’s and Jordan Bardella’s policy is the only real path to restore France as a proud, productive nation. Because let’s be clear: France today is buried under two great burdens—debt and mass migration. That is Macron’s legacy. That is the legacy of the socialists. That is the legacy of the establishment. And French citizens know it. They want change.

‘My message is simple: there is hope’

I am also confident because we see the business world beginning to listen. When Jordan Bardella met with the leaders of France’s major companies, many of them who once dismissed us now recognize the disaster of Macron’s policies. They are listening to us, they are interested in our programme, and they understand that France cannot continue on its current path.

So my message is simple: there is hope. There is not much time left to save France, to restore our European nations—but the people are there, ready for change. And I believe they feel that very soon we will begin the work of restoration and finally emerge from the disaster in which the establishment has placed us.

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