In the European elections in June

Ex-Frontex chief stands for right-wing populists

(Bild: APA/AFP/JANEK SKARZYNSKI)

The former head of the EU border protection agency Frontex, Fabrice Leggeri, has joined the right-wing populist party Rassemblement National (RN) in France and is running in the EU elections. He resigned from his post in 2022 due to human rights violations.

Leggeri declared on Saturday that he was running on the RN list for the European elections in June. The party has "a concrete plan and the capacity to implement it", the 55-year-old told the Sunday newspaper "Journal du Dimanche". His main concern is to "combat the flood of migrants".

Alleged to have covered up pushbacks
Leggeri was the top official at Frontex from 2015 to April 2022. His resignation was prompted by reports of human rights violations at the EU's external borders and investigations by the anti-fraud agency Olaf. Leggeri was accused of covering up so-called pushbacks by the Greek coastguard, i.e. illegal rejections of asylum seekers.

"Decision only logical"
"My aim is to put my experience and expertise at the service of the French," Leggeri wrote about his candidacy for the European Parliament on the online service X. "After heading Frontex for almost seven years and working for the state for around 30 years, particularly in the areas of security and migration management, this decision is only logical," he added.