Left fears far right Front National will make big gains

Fears were growing on the left – among socialists, communists and liberals as well as Jewish, Muslim and other minority groups – on the eve of the second round of local elections in France that the extreme right Front National is on the brink of an historic breakthrough.

by Keith Richmond
Friday, March 25th, 2011

The FN capitalised on the popularity of its new leader, Marine Le Pen, daughter of the party’s old leader Jean-Marie Le Pen, by taking 15 per cent of the vote in the first round on March 20. The Socialists won 26 per cent and Nicolas Sarkozy’s centre-right UMP 19 per cent. Some 2,000 council seats are up for grabs in the second round on March 27.

Critics say a good result for the party – which trades on being racist, anti-Semitic and xenophobic – will undermine the country. But Marine Le Pen says “the right-left divide makes no sense any more. The real divide is between nationalism and globalisation.”

The only place you can read all of Tribune's articles as soon as they are published is in the magazine. To find out more about subscribing from as little as £19, click here.

About The Author

Keith Richmond is deputy editor of Tribune
  • Appreciation & Preservation

    The far-right is a blessing of sanity and a return to cultural identity that people have cherished so much over the last couple of centuries, as the world finally found traction. Now that traction and prosperity are being again uprooted by cultural confusion and race-mixing. I wish the FN much success in France.