France: Strong showing for National Front

France: Strong showing for National Front

Final results for the first round of the regional elections here. The Socialists are the big winners, but the National Front also exceeded expectations. Getting more than the projected < 10% allows the party to enter the second round.

--------------


THE French far-right National Front made a surprisingly strong showing in regional elections on Sunday prompting leader Jean Marie Le Pen to declare that his party's popularity was on the rise.


Projections showed the National Front picked up close to 12 per cent in the vote to elect councils in France's 26 regions, and even garnered a hefty 20 per cent in the southern Provence and Riviera region.


The 81-year-old leader, who may be running in his last election, appeared jubilant on national television late on Sunday, holding a party poster proclaiming 'No to Islamism' that was declared offensive in a court ruling a few days ago.


'The National Front was declared beaten, dead, buried by the president,' Mr Le Pen said. 'This shows that it is still a national force, and probably destined to become greater and greater.' A 10 per cent score for the National Front kept it in the running for the second round next Sunday.


Mr Le Pen called on voters to back the party again in round two to ensure that the 'National Front is a French force, combative and capable of rebuilding this country which is in a horrible state.' The vote came against a backdrop of social tensions after a government-led public debate on 'national identity' that was widely slammed as a divisive project that stigmatises immigrants. The banned National Front posters showed a Muslim woman wearing the full veil and an Algerian flag plastered over a map of France with minarets portrayed as missiles.


Source: Straits Times (English)