The populist French far-right leader Marine Le Pen is closer to gaining power in France after last week's polls showed that she is very likely to reach at least a second round of voting this spring in the country’s two-stage electoral process.

Promising to hold a referendum within six months of her presidency on European Union membership, which she called a "nightmare", she also promised to secure the country's borders and pull France out of NATO. She has also vowed to restore law and order in the country within five years. Foreigners, she stressed, were eating up France's social benefits and offering little in return. In a recent interview, she was quoted as saying, "our benefits are being distributed to people all over the world and we are gaining nothing in return."

Ms Le Pen delivered a grim populist kick-off to her presidential campaign last Sunday, warning thousands of her flag-waving supporters of two totalitarianisms, 'globalization' and 'Islamism' that are threatening an already weakened country. In a long speech to her supporters brimming with nationalist fervour, she praised President Trump and the Americans who had elected him. The national interest must come first, she said.

In a show of support and solidarity, she said to cheering supporters: "Our citizens are frightened by terrorism and weary of unemployment. We have drawn up a programme for the hard workers of our nation but definitely not for the financial sector and the banks. After decades of cowardice and laissez-faire, our choice is a choice of civilization. Will our children live in a country that is still French and democratic?" she concluded to a boisterous applause from thousands of supporters.

The French electorate is very angry about France's culture of privilege for politicians. Nepotism scandal affecting the presidential candidate Francois Fillon at this delicate phase of campaigning is only helping propel the far-right National Front of Marine Le Pen. The scandal over Mr Fillon is unlikely to simply blow over. What was tolerated 10 years ago by the French will no longer be tolerated now with Marine Le Pen gaining new support every second.

Donald Trump was elected President of the US against all odds. If Marine Le Pen triumphs in the forthcoming elections, European leaders will be faced with a truly dire challenge, one that threatens to spell the end of the European Union.

 

Jos Edmond Zarb

Birkirkara