Paris (AFP)

MEP LREM Nathalie Loiseau said Monday was favorable to the reception in France of American whistleblower Edward Snowden, who "rendered a service to humanity" and asked Emmanuel Macron to grant him asylum.

"Absolutely," replied France Inter the former head of the list of the presidential majority in the European elections when asked if she was favorable to this reception.

She said, however, that it is the Office of Refugee Protection (OFPRA), "a totally independent agency," to take the new Snowden asylum application.

"Edward Snowden is someone who has done a service to humanity, someone who has shown us, with the evidence, that there is an extraordinarily large surveillance system, working with companies who agreed to give their data behind the backs of their users, "she explained, before launching:" Thank you Edward Snowden! "

"I would be very happy that he is in Europe", she added, stressing that today, "no European country has given asylum to Snowden, we are completely out of step with the values we wear ".

"We do not want France to become like those countries you do not like, the saddest part of this story is that the only place where a US whistleblower can talk is not is not in Europe but it is here (in Russia, Ed), "said Mr. Snowden in an interview with France Inter, unveiled Saturday and broadcast in full on Monday.

"I applied for asylum in France under (former Socialist President) François Hollande in 2013. Obviously, I would very much like Mr Macron to grant me the right of asylum," added Mr Snowden. requested the protection of more than twenty countries, including France and Germany, refused for one reason or another.

"Our country must honor those who fight for him", responded in a statement Jean-Luc Mélenchon, who had asked since 2013 that asylum be granted to Edward Snowden and assured the whistleblower of his "support" in this approach.

Edward Snowden will release on September 17 his memoirs, published simultaneously in twenty countries including the United States, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Brazil or Taiwan.

An employee of the US intelligence agency NSA turned whistleblower, Edward Snowden revealed in 2013 the existence of a global monitoring system of communications and internet. He fled to Russia in 2013 and had his residence permit renewed until 2020. The United States charged him with spying and stealing state secrets.

© 2019 AFP