Bardella Defies Own Party to Block EU Tobacco Tax Hike
French right-wing leader Jordan Bardella announced his party will vote against an EU proposal to increase tobacco and vaping taxes, defying his own Patriots for Europe parliamentary group.
Bardella, who chairs the Patriots for Europe group in the European Parliament, revealed that his Rassemblement National party would reject the tax package despite support for the measure from within the Patriots bloc itself. The European Parliament is scheduled to vote on June 17 on a non-binding opinion regarding revisions to the Tobacco Taxation Directive, which establishes minimum excise rates across EU member states, according to Brussels Signal.
The split exposes tensions within the Patriots for Europe, the third-largest group in the assembly. Czech MEP Tomáš Kubín, who is shepherding the tax legislation through Parliament, belongs to the same group as Bardella yet has championed a proposal the French leader now opposes.
Kubín’s version has already watered down the European Commission’s original plan on nearly every point. His text maintains the minimum cigarette excise at 60 percent of retail price rather than the 63 percent Brussels sought, and reduces the euro floor to €200 per 1,000 cigarettes from the Commission’s proposed €215, compared with €94 today.
The revised proposal also introduces lower rates and extended phase-in periods for e-cigarettes, heated tobacco and nicotine pouches, with some implementation timelines stretching to 2034. The Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs approved the text last month by 32 votes to 21, with support from the Patriots, the European Conservatives and Reformists, and the European People’s Party.
Despite these concessions, Bardella confirmed his party would oppose the package because it still increases duties, particularly on vaping products. The RN leader stated his party would vote against the new mechanism.
Electoral Calculations Drive Opposition
France currently maintains relatively low excise duties on e-liquids compared with many other EU member states. With Bardella positioned as the RN’s candidate for the 2027 French presidential election, the party appears reluctant to alienate vape users ahead of that crucial contest.
Kubín has defended his approach to the directive, arguing his objective was to keep the rules realistic, proportionate and enforceable. He emphasized the work was not about undermining the Commission’s goals but about making the directive workable in practice.
Left Opposes From Opposite Direction
Socialist, liberal and Left MEPs have rejected the committee text from an entirely different angle, claiming it eviscerates a public health measure. These groups have aligned themselves with the Commission’s more stringent original proposal.
Negotiations among member states remain deadlocked, with Sweden holding up progress due to reservations about the directive. Discussions are expected to resume in July under the Irish Presidency of the Council of the EU.
Under the legislative procedure being used, the European Parliament provides only a consultative opinion, with final decision-making authority resting with member states in the Council.
With information from Brussels Signal
