France's Far-Right Party Proposes Bitcoin Mining with Nuclear Surplus in Bold Energy Strategy

France’s Rassemblement National (RN) party has announced plans to harness surplus nuclear energy for Bitcoin mining, marking a dramatic shift in its stance on cryptocurrency. The initiative is spearheaded by RN lawmaker Aurélien Lopez-Liguori, who is preparing a bill to install mining infrastructure at facilities managed by state utility Électricité de France (EDF).

According to reporting byLe Monde, party leader Marine Le Pen promoted the proposal during a March visit to the Flamanville nuclear plant, characterizing the strategy as a way to convert otherwise wasted electricity into “secure and extremely profitable” digital assets.

The move represents a sharp departure from RN’s earlier anti-crypto stance. In 2016, Le Pen called for a nationwide ban on digital currencies, arguing that their rise would strip citizens of monetary control and cede power to global financial institutions. “Currency is a national good entrusted to the people,” she declared at the time.

Now, the RN is positioning itself as France’s most aggressive political advocate for crypto integration, despite internal party disagreements. Finance chief Jean-Philippe Tanguy remains critical of Bitcoin’s decentralized nature, urging continued support for centralized monetary frameworks.

Still, RN’s pivot appears driven by a broader strategy to recast digital assets as instruments of national sovereignty and economic resilience. “Our goal is to ensure no energy goes unused,” said Lopez-Liguori, aligning the initiative with environmental and financial efficiency.

The proposal arrives amid rising interest from the crypto industry in France’s policy landscape. While left-wing parties remain wary of mining’s ecological footprint and criminal associations, RN is attracting entrepreneurs and lobbyists who view the party as pro-innovation and business-friendly.

Should the bill advance, it would establish France as one of the first EU nations to formally link nuclear energy and Bitcoin infrastructure—a symbolic and strategic alignment that could influence policy across the bloc.