Le Pen
met France’s richest man and other major CEOs at secret dinner
The
French business community has been trying to build bridges with the far right
for months.
April 10,
2026 5:14 pm CET
By Clea
Caulcutt
PARIS —
Marine Le Pen dined with LVMH chief Bernard Arnault and other influential
French corporate leaders on Tuesday, a meeting that offers another indication
her far-right party, the National Rally, has become a mainstream movement that
is no longer ostracized by the business community.
TotalEnergies
Chief Executive Patrick Pouyanné and several other leaders of companies listed
on the CAC40, France’s main stock index, also attended, according to a senior
National Rally official and two executives working for companies who were
represented, all of whom were granted anonymity to candidly discuss the
evening.
The
National Rally did not respond to a request for comment. A spokesperson for
LVMH declined to comment, while an official for utility giant Engie, whose CEO
was reportedly at the meeting, said it is company policy to meet
representatives from all political parties in France.
For
years, France’s entrepreneurial elite have been deeply suspicious of a populist
party that has flipflopped on key economic policies such as membership of the
eurozone. In 2017, Arnault backed French President Emmanuel Macron against Le
Pen, and had until this week refused to meet National Rally leaders.
But with
Le Pen and National Rally President Jordan Bardella topping the polls ahead of
next year’s presidential election, business leaders have been seeking to build
bridges with far-right leaders to gain influence over a party whose economic
vision often clashes with their interests.
Pouyanné
had in January called for business leaders to talk to the far right and the
hard-left France Unbowed party to “introduce some realism into a confused and
illusory political debate.”
According
to an executive who works for one of the attendees, the encounter wasn’t an
opportunity for business leaders to “cozy up” to Le Pen, but rather a robust
exchange of views.
But a
former government official who was granted anonymity to protect relationships
with past colleagues said that the symbolism of Le Pen “meeting Arnault,
Pouyanné and others contributes to normalizing her.”
The
dinner was held at the exclusive Drouant restaurant in Paris, according to the
French weekly Le Nouvel Obs, which first reported the meeting.
Le Nouvel
Obs reported that more than a dozen CEOs were present at the dinner, including
Engie CEO Catherine MacGregor; Sebastien Bazin from the hotels group Accor;
Cyrille Bolloré, the son of the conservative billionaire Vincent Bolloré; and
Henri de Castries, the former chief executive of AXA insurance.
Pauline
de Saint Remy and Alexandre Léchenet contributed to this report.
CORRECTION:
This story has been updated to correct the company whose policy it is to meet
representatives from all political parties in France.
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