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I can't believe the European press is spinning this as "anti-Arab." So frickin' typical. Good Lord, maybe it has to do with just plain old economics. Perhaps the Germans don't like 11 - 20% unemployment. Sheesh...we b*itch when it gets to 6% here!! Maybe the Europeans are finally awakening to the fact that being run by a bunch of 'greens' isn't in the best interest of their respective countries, let alone Europe.

Looks like the press in Europe is as bad as the US. Yes, it is always about race. Gimme a break.

Everything I hear on t.v. is that the guy is an anti-semite. So which is it, anti-semite or anti-arab? Really, the europeans are quite clueless, they need to get out of their castles and spend some time with the regular folks, maybe then they will understand, the masses want low taxes and jobs.....

Le Pen is anti-immigration. He is like the Buchanan of French politics (but more successful), and appeals to the rural provinces of France.

But you're right, him making the second round doesn't really mean a rise in anti-Arab feelings. He's always placed fairly well in national politics -- that is, above 10%. It's just a numbers game. Many potential Jospin voters stayed home, while the Le Pen voters came out. Jospin also had to share his votes with myriad other French leftists, sending two rightists into the run-off.

But with Arabs in France running around burning synagogues and making a lot of noise, and the perception that they refuse to integrate with French culture, it fuels the anti-Arab (anti-immigrant) sentiment, just like many Americans (i.e. Buchananites) feel about Hispanic immigrants, only on a grander scale (because France is an ancient country not founded on immigration, and is much more protective about its language and culture).