Macron sends unknown ‘to the slaughter’ in EU elections

EMMANUEL MACRON has been accused of sending the daughter of a farmer to the “slaughter” after choosing the politician to square off against Marine Le Pen’s populist poster boy in the EU elections.

Valérie Hayer, 37, head of the centrist Renew Europe group in the European Parliament – the chamber’s third-largest – will reportedly take on Jordan Bardella, 28, of the National Rally party in the June vote. Mr Macron is said to have been won over by the fact that she is a farmer’s “daughter, granddaughter, sister and sister-in-law”. One government aide said: “They’re appointing an unknown, it’s a bet. But she has proved her worth at the European Parliament.”

Mr Macron was booed during an appearance at the annual Paris Farm Show at the weekend, where furious farmers clashed with riot police and broke stands. Arnaud Rousseau, chairman of the national farmers’ union, described it as “total chaos”.

Ms Hayer was not Mr Macron’s first choice. At least three men, including Jean-yves Le Drian, an ex-defence minister, and Bruno Le Maire, the finance minister, reportedly turned the post down. The previous favourite, Stéphane Séjourné, became foreign minister in a recent reshuffle.

Some question whether Ms Hayer, a little-known politician, stands a chance against the high-profile Mr Bardella.

In a Whatsapp group made up of Mr Macron’s aides, seen by Le Monde, one fretted: “The men all said no. They send a woman to the slaughter. It’s a hospital pass.”

Ms Hayer is due to officially launch the European campaign for Mr Macron’s Renaissance group in Lille on March 9.

It came as Macron announced yesterday a new coalition would be created to supply Ukraine with longer-range missiles and munitions, adding that not even sending Western ground troops to fight the Russian invasion should be ruled out.

“There is no consensus today to send ground troops ... but nothing should be excluded. We will do whatever it takes to ensure that Russia cannot win this war,” Macron said after a meeting of European leaders in Paris.

He added: “We are convinced that the defeat of Russia is indispensable to security and stability in Europe.”