French President Emmanuel Macron should take no pride in once again defeating far-right candidate Marine Le Pen. Since her first run for the presidency in 2012, she has gained a substantial degree of influence — enough that the far right is now an unavoidable force in French politics. Instead of celebrating his win, Macron and his supporters should take a close look at how Le Pen and her hateful positions have become part of the French political mainstream.
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Make no mistake: Despite her loss, Le Pen managed to both raise her profile and cultivate an image that whitewashed her dangerous agenda.
Over the years, campaign posters shifted from mentioning her last name — associated with her father, Jean-Marie Le Pen, former head of her party and a notorious racist — to focusing on her first name, all while depicting her with a wide and innocent smile. During this campaign, she used her Instagram account to showcase her love for cats and made public appearances singing outdated popular songs, thus presenting herself as a regular person who does not share the cultural tastes of the elite. She described herself as a single woman, like “a number of French people,” but failed to acknowledge that she was born and raised in the upper class. Former Miss France Delphine Wespiser even praised Le Pen as “a mother of the French.”
At the same time, several media outlets held debates on whether or not Le Pen was from the far right. That shocking question captures just how many people in France no longer perceive her as a threat. She has definitely won the “de-demonization” game.
Yet there is no doubt about what she stands for. As leader of National Rally, a party founded by former Nazi collaborators and fascists, she is supported by the most radical and violent fringes of the far right, including fascists and antisemites. Her positions and previous statements clearly show she comes from the most extreme side of the political landscape.
As a member of Parliament, she introduced a bill last year on “Citizenship, Identity and Immigration,” proposing a referendum to prioritize French nationals over foreigners (no matter how long they might have been in France) in areas from housing to jobs to social services. The proposal would eliminate birthright citizenship (a core principle of French citizenship), facilitate deportation and end family reunification, violating international human rights laws protecting the right to family life. Furthermore, French people with dual citizenship would be prevented from accessing public service jobs.
Sign up for a weekly roundup of thought-provoking ideas and debates
Make no mistake: Despite her loss, Le Pen managed to both raise her profile and cultivate an image that whitewashed her dangerous agenda.
Over the years, campaign posters shifted from mentioning her last name — associated with her father, Jean-Marie Le Pen, former head of her party and a notorious racist — to focusing on her first name, all while depicting her with a wide and innocent smile. During this campaign, she used her Instagram account to showcase her love for cats and made public appearances singing outdated popular songs, thus presenting herself as a regular person who does not share the cultural tastes of the elite. She described herself as a single woman, like “a number of French people,” but failed to acknowledge that she was born and raised in the upper class. Former Miss France Delphine Wespiser even praised Le Pen as “a mother of the French.”
At the same time, several media outlets held debates on whether or not Le Pen was from the far right. That shocking question captures just how many people in France no longer perceive her as a threat. She has definitely won the “de-demonization” game.
Yet there is no doubt about what she stands for. As leader of National Rally, a party founded by former Nazi collaborators and fascists, she is supported by the most radical and violent fringes of the far right, including fascists and antisemites. Her positions and previous statements clearly show she comes from the most extreme side of the political landscape.
As a member of Parliament, she introduced a bill last year on “Citizenship, Identity and Immigration,” proposing a referendum to prioritize French nationals over foreigners (no matter how long they might have been in France) in areas from housing to jobs to social services. The proposal would eliminate birthright citizenship (a core principle of French citizenship), facilitate deportation and end family reunification, violating international human rights laws protecting the right to family life. Furthermore, French people with dual citizenship would be prevented from accessing public service jobs.