The bogeyman of French politics, Le Pen, bows out

[pampango]

Source: Monsters and Critics

At his last press conference before bowing out as leader of the Front National this weekend, the 82-year-old bogeyman of French politics could only recall 'four or five slip-ups.' Those 'slip-ups' include referring to the extermination of 6 million Jews by Nazi Germany as a 'detail of history' - a remark which earned the unrepentant Le Pen one in a string of convictions, ranging from assault as a young man to hate speech.

Many French people cringed at the prospect of a xenophobe leading the land of 'liberty, fraternity et equality' and rallied around Le Pen's conservative opponent, Jacques Chirac, in the presidential run-off, that Chirac subsequently won.

But Le Pen was bolstered by his strong showing, seeing in it a vindication of his brand of 'anti' politics: anti-immigrant, anti-globalization and anti-Europe.

While his remarks denigrating immigrants shock, his dire warnings of a Muslim 'invasion' of France and erosion of French sovereignty by the European Union appear to have struck a chord among a growing number of French.

Read more: http://www.monstersandcritics.com/news/europe/features/article_1611475.php/The-bogeyman-of-French-politics-Le-Pen-bows-out-News-Feature

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Le Pen's daugheter, Marine, seems the most likely candidate to take over as head of the Front National, so leadership of the far-right in France will stay in the family. :)

[Jefferson23]

1. UGH....n/t

[uppityperson]

2. Glad he is out, wish his followers would get some humanity.

[LeftishBrit]

3. Vile man

Glad he's going; but the far right will continue.

BTW the first time I heard of Pat Buchanan was when he wrote an article defending LePen at the time of the 2002 French election.