Posted on 02/10/2007 9:31:32 PM PST by Rodney King
No longer a joke – France is having to take Le Pen's threat seriously
By Henry Samuel Last Updated: 1:56am GMT 15/11/2006
Besides his penchant for champagne and singing outmoded French songs, far-Right leader Jean-Marie Le Pen is known to like a practical joke.
So when he strode purposefully out of his private office at the National Front's presidential convention outside Paris this weekend towards the press tent, camera crews in tow, nobody seemed overly surprised when he veered off at the last minute into the lavatory.
Jean-Marie Le Pen National Front leader, Jean-Marie Le Pen, at his party presidential convention in Le Bourget, Paris
The cameras were still rolling when he reappeared with a grin, chin jutting forth, to carry on with the presidential show.
At 78, Mr Le Pen can afford such low farce: his popularity ratings have never been better.
An IFOP poll in this weekend's Le Monde showed that 18 per cent of the French say they will "definitely" vote for the National Front chief.
That is nine points more than at the same period before the 2002 election, in which he horrified Europe by coming second to Jacques Chirac. advertisement
Mr Le Pen is convinced that his fifth presidential campaign since 1974 – and probably his last – will end in the ultimate electoral earthquake in April's elections: "My goal is not the second round, it's the third: the presidency," he said as he prepared the formal launch of his presidential campaign in Le Bourget, on the outskirts of Paris, yesterday.
Around him in the party's Bleu-Blanc-Rouge hall, party faithful, enacted the traditions of French rural life, playing boules and tombola and tasting local delicacies, such as oysters, Muscat and Corsican cured ham brought by regional National Front representatives.
T-shirts and caps were aligned on one stall with the slogan "Love it [France] or leave it" alongside champagne bottles and lighters with labels of Mr Le Pen smiling in front of the Elysée Palace.
Before 2002, the image would have raised a laugh. This time, his rivals are taking the threat extremely seriously.
The former paratrooper's cause has been helped by a mood of introspective nationalism sweeping France, rocked by last year's suburban riots, a surprise No vote in a referendum on the European constitution and profound disillusionment in its politicians.
His virulent anti-immigration stance, promise of "national preference" but also defence of French sovereignty by, for example, bringing back the Franc, have struck a chord.
"I feel the country's great anxiety in my bones. There are departments like the 93 (Seine Saint-Denis) that are losing a part of their population – the true French, but also law-abiding immigrants who don't want their children dragged through the maelstrom of delinquency and violence," he says.
Observers say that the younger faction of "frontistes", epitomised by his daughter Marine, who condones gay marriage, has given a more progressive face to the brash Le Pen père.
Analysts say that despite his rising ratings, Mr Le Pen's chances of victory in France's presidential elections next year are slimmer than in 2002 because this time the race is dominated by two relatively young candidates: the Socialist Ségolène Royal, 53, and Nicolas Sarkozy, 52, the leader of the ruling centre-Right UMP party.
Both promise change and both speak of a clampdown on security and immigration, a key issue since riots in the rundown immigrant suburbs rocked the country a year ago.
Mr Le Pen is dismissive of both, claiming that they are hijacking what have always been National Front policies. He speaks of Miss Royal as Madame "Nunuch" or Dumbo, and Mr Sarkozy as the Chameleon.
"Their attempt to imitate policies I have been promoting for years is proof that the 'Lepen-isation' of mentalities is well under way. But the people will always prefer the original to the copy," he said.
The popularity of Miss Royal and Mr Sarkozy, and fears of another sudden Le Pen breakthrough, are expected to encourage more people to vote than five years ago.
Mr Le Pen admits that Left-wing sympathisers are more likely to vote tactically in the first round to avoid a repeat of 2002, when he ousted Lionel Jospin, the Socialist candidate.
His greatest hope is for a split in the mainstream Right: although Mr Sarkozy is almost certain to lead the UMP party, the prime minister, Dominique de Villepin, and the defence minister, Michele Alliot-Marie, say they may run, egged on by Jacques Chirac, whose hatred of Mr Sarkozy is well documented.
Mr Le Pen shrugs off suggestions that the hardline Mr Sarkozy is sapping his electorate.
The UMP president's credo of la rupture – a clean break with past politics – is, Mr Le Pen says, laughable, given that he has been in the government for years.
His daughter, Marine, who has been put in charge of campaign strategy, chimes in: "The National Front has won the ideological battle, and, as former Socialist president François Mitterrand said, an ideological victory always precedes a political victory.
"The big question now is, will voters buy these fake revolutionaries who come from the system but claim to want to change it, or will they go for the real thing (the National Front)?"
fpress@telegraph.co.uk
I also recall him referring to Hitler about 10-15 years ago as "Uncle Adolf".
If I were French I'd vote for Sarkozy. France's fate will be sealed id LePen draws enough votes to allow the left-winger to win; but at least they have a run-off system, so ultimately it should wind up between the two younger candidates. I can't see LePen making it past the first round this time. If he does it will ensure another landslide for the opposition, which will continue allowing the gradual takeover of France by the Islamists.
It doesn't take much to be branded a fascist, these days.
If an outspoken wish for law and order, the promotion of national pride, a restrictive immigration policy, and a firm refusal to capitulate to the wannabee new islamic conquerers are the criteria to brand someone a fascist, well then, by all means, they can brand me a fascist, too. I won't mind.
The word "Nazi" refers to the 3rd Reich (ceased to exist in 1945) and is therefore out of chronological context, and calling someone a "Nazi" for reasons of disagreeing with his political views, merely reveals a painful lack of realism.
Too many people use the word as a substitute for reasonable argumentation. Call someone a "Nazi", and according to the well-known politically correct fundamentals, he's got something to feel terribly guilty about.
Yeah right.
I'm referring to a specific political movement in France, that has continued, with the same names, faces and ideas, practically unabated since the 1930s. Le Pen is part of that movement. His glorification of Vichy, his past use of anti-Semitic themes, etc. all speak to that.
That's nice. I didn't call Le Pen a Nazi, I called him a fascist. There's a subtle, but distinct difference.
A member of the far right in France?
...so he's a just a big government socialist as opposed to a Leninist Communist?
By fascist do you mean someone who believes that the government should control the economy through the regulatin of private companies, or do you just mean someone you don't like who is not a communist? He wishes to entirely repeal the income tax in france, fyi.
How does that square with the fact the he fought in the French resistance?
BTT
It doesn't, because he never fought in the French resistance.
At times, he has claimed he did -- in fact he's claimed to have been a hero --, but nobody who actually fought in the resistance ever recalls M. Le Pen. None of his stories check out, and his ex-wife says that he spent most of the war hiding under his bed. The guy is as phony as a 3 euro bill.
None of this maters. They're all french, and they all hate us. The choices are A). America-and-Jew-hating Socialist, B). America-and-Jew-hating Fascist, or C). America-and-Jew-hating-french-muzzy. I say screw them all.
What the article doesn't mention is that since the last election, Le Pen has been getting friendly with France's Muslims. And why not? He hates Jews and the US as much as they do. Some of his original supporters have broken off to another party in protest of this Islamic accomodation -- but he doesn't care since he's probably gaining more in Islamic votes as a result.
I'd take Royal even though she is a socialist. Le Pen is an anti-Semite and lies through his teeth. Royal is just stupid. Both would cause damage to France, but Le Pen would be much worse.
Anyways, I hope that Sarkozy keeps on trucking and Royal keeps on fumbling (and that Le Pen doesn't get his 500 signatures to run).
Give me a break! This French bashing is irrational. Yes, Le Pen is definitely anti-Semitic and Royal would rather support Hezbollah than Israel. But there is no indication that Sarkozy is anti-Semitic. His grandfather was Jewish and I haven't heard a single statement by him that is anti-Semitic. Being French doesn't mean that you are anti-Semitic. In fact France has one of the highest levels of respect and tolerance for Jews in the Western World.
Your article is totally out of date.
In the latest polls, http://www.lemonde.fr/web/vi/0,47-0@2-823448,54-848463,0.html le Pen is polling under 11%, behind the moderate Center Right Candidate Francois Bayrou.
Le Pen has not polled above 13% since november 2006.
That is a very good thing for France, and for the rest of the world as well. Le Pen is a neo-Nazi, an anti-Semite who hates America and Israel. He is anti-Capitalist and anti free trade. Where anyone gets the ideas that he is a good guy is beyond me.
If you hate Israel, hate Jews, and hate America, then le Pen is your man.
Le Pen is a neo-Nazi, an anti-Semite who hates America and Israel. He is anti-Capitalist and anti free trade. Where anyone gets the ideas that he is a good guy is beyond me.
Le Pen is a neo-Nazi, an anti-Semite who hates America and Israel. He is anti-Capitalist and anti free trade. Where anyone gets the ideas that he is a good guy is beyond me.
Anyone who roots for that kind of scum is just as low as he is.
To equate the utterly vile and discredited le Pen with Ronald Reagan is nigh on to blasphemy.
Le Pen is a neo-Nazi, an anti-Semite who hates America and Israel. He is anti-Capitalist and anti free trade. Where anyone gets the ideas that he is a good guy is beyond me.
"The Center-Right in Europe is not the same as the Center-Right in America. Some of those folks are WAY out in right field."
Sarko is part of the Center Right in France.
Le Pen is an extreme Right Wing neo-Nazi and anti-Semite who hates Jews, hates Israel, and hates America.
Still admore him?
Le Pen is a neo-Nazi, an anti-Semite who hates America and Israel. He is anti-Capitalist and anti free trade. Where anyone gets the ideas that he is a good guy is beyond me.
Anyone who roots for that kind of scum is just as low as he is.
Still in his Fan Club?
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