Daughter of Le Pen elected leader of National Front party he founded

[MH1]

Source: The Canadian Press

TOURS, France — France's far-right National Front party elected the daughter of its founder, Jean-Marie Le Pen, as its new leader Sunday, who says she wants to broaden the appeal of a party known best for its anti-immigration, anti-Islam platform.

Le Pen, who has been convicted for minimizing the Holocaust, left the leadership of the party he created 38 years ago by dropping an anti-Semitic reference about a journalist at a weekend party gathering.

Marine Le Pen, 42, won slightly more than two-thirds of the vote in an election at a convention in the central city of Tours — easily beating the other candidate, longtime party No. 2 Bruno Gollnisch.

Her victory, which had been expected, means she is likely to represent the party in the 2012 presidential race. Her father already said he wouldn't run after five losing bids — and a shockingly strong one nine years ago, when he qualified for the run-off against incumbent Jacques Chirac.

Read more: http://www.google.com/hostednews/canadianpress/article/ALeqM5jWlVMPI6_2RtpiJ1j3o02A1Pfqag?docId=5662154

[SemperEadem]

1. oh look--spalin's new friend

[Endangered Specie]

2. teabaggers francais?

[jrb92]

3. French teabaggers

Yes kinda! But they're more statists and very protectionnists (end of the euro and exit of the European Union), not ultraliberals a la Palin (social benefits only for "good French people")...

[Endangered Specie]

4. Sort of like the B.N.P. in the UK