Strong, rigorous and independent from Brussels to be the new France. So it raises Marine Le Pen and her National Front before. For the first time it could be the strongest force in the European elections.
Train ride from Charles de Gaulle airport to the center of Paris: In the compartment sit Tunisians, French, Senegalese, they speak Arabic, French and Wolof. In the centrally organized France’s capital acts like a magnet – even on immigrants. A considerable portion of all immigrants living in the Paris area.
We were here once immigrants , on time. Ten years ago, we have both as students lived and worked in this city. The political power of the xenophobic National Front (FN) then seemed to be already shrunk again . The shock of 2002, when it succeeded Jean -Marie Le Pen in the presidential election in the runoff against President Jacques Chirac , was with our French friends than overcome. A mistake, but past , they said.
The end of March has caught up with the French the past : the FN achieved the best result in its history at a local election . 4.7 percent came for the right-wing populist nationally first ballot under its new leader Marine Le Pen, daughter of the former party leaders . This has little and is much more : The right-wing populists have a candidate in only 600 cities and towns of more than 36,000 . In almost a dozen cities, the party is now the mayor. In the European elections , Le Pen might bring with her party even the most votes in the country.
EU Enemies Marine Le Pen:Many French people are afraid of diversity
Every third member of the FN is , according to the party younger than 30 years . Also in the leadership positions sit many young politicians. The central themes will sound the same well known : reduce immigration radically , get out of the European Union, away with the euro , closing with the same-sex marriage , in with tighter school discipline – and the death penalty.
How it creates Marine Le Pen , with such theses to lure young French people in their party ? And where the euphoria Europe has remained , which was created with the opening of borders and the time has captured us as students? ” United in diversity ” is the motto of the EU . But the diversity seems to many young French people to scare .
In the evening, we are in the 13th arrondissement, a nondescript house. No name on the doorbell, nowhere an indication that there is a central meeting place for the FN behind the brown wooden door. On the brass plate on the door reads: ” Le Forum ” . Here, every Wednesday evening meets the youth movement of the party. Its chairman ,
Julien Rochedy , 26, wants to join in this evening on the European election campaign and report from his trip to Vienna, where he founded with populist right-wing youth organizations from other countries an alliance . It bears the English name ” Yeah” (Young European Alliance for Hope ), which Rochedy hurts something . Better a French title it would have been , but that was not to give the Austrians and Sweden.
In a dimly lit back room to wait about 20 young Frenchman. The men are smartly dressed , the women look dapper from , no one seems to be poor or disadvantaged by society.
Dinner at an Indian in the Rue Oberkampf . We are talking about long-distance romance , foreign languages, internships and what has brought the European Union. Our generation was the first who enjoyed the freedom to travel properly. Who would want to do an internship in Paris, Rome or Barcelona, just had to pack his suitcase. Ten years later, the united Europe seems to stand for one thing : the crisis.
The anger is the source from which the FN exhausted. As the world looks from the perspective of a young right-wing populists ? And like the ideal world? We want to know and arrange to meet with the head of the youth movement for a second interview at party headquarters .
The headquarters of the FN is located in the town of Nanterre , just outside of Paris. In the center couscous shops line to French pastries and Arabic fashion stores . Women with headscarves scurry about the streets. 2008, the right-wing populists here based their party headquarters – under massive protest of the inhabitants ; in Nanterre govern the Communists , since 1935. Headquarters of the FN is located in a residential area. Between the single-family home with flowering gardens affects the metal- gray building as the embassy of a small , remote country.
EU Enemies Marine Le Pen:France is now “out of nature” christian times
Rochedy, chairman of the youth organization, a handsome man, often he drives through dense hair with your fingers. He twitters about Napoleon and his generals (“What manner of men, what an era!”), Our conversation, he starts with a harmless topic: “Bayern Munich is the best team in the world, right?” He politely explained to us his view of the world. He had nothing against Islam, but France was now time “naturally” Christian. Rochedy brings statistics, his sentences often ended with “that you can read in the history books.” But much of what he says is in no reputable history book. He does not speak of political opponents, but of “ennemis” enemies. When he talks about politics, it does not sound like democracy. It sounds like war.
When they parted, to Rochedy are gentlemanly, asking for advice for a trip to Germany: He wants to know where in Germany you can see the “original” nation.
Rochedy and the FN can expect a lot of approval in the country: according to a survey commissioned by the weekly newspaper “Le Nouvel Observateur” a quarter of the
French holding the FN for a conservative party, not for an extremist organization. Also, Vincent Morelle of Meaux wanted to believe. Like many others, he had the right-wing populist connected after Marine Le Pen had become party leader. He was immediately appointed chief campaign in Meaux at the municipal election.
EU Enemies Marine Le Pen:A “Tour of the disappointed” by France
Meaux, half an hour’s train ride east of Paris, is a sleepy little town. Not quite in the province, but far from the capital. In the local elections in March, the FN got there 12.1 percent. But at this time Morelle was already resigned after only six months. The 24-year-old had worked for the conservative UMP. But the party did not fight him enough for a sovereign France.
Vincent Morelle has much time for us. He brings us even from the station. Since his dismissal to the FN he has not found a new job, but a new mission: “Tour of the déçus” that leads “Tour of the disappointed” him across France. Alone in the south of the country, he has reportedly taken more than 280 former FN members, all, he says, are just as disappointed as himself
Morelle is little evidence of what he tells us. But his statements are similar to those of other dropouts. He now uses to voters to promote a patriotic faction.
The FN has the financial and economic crisis in the EU focuses sent. As simple as seems to be the way out of the crisis that comes to the right-wing populists: get out of the EU – problems solved.
According to recent polls, according to this way agree with 24 percent of the French.
In the UK and in the Netherlands, the right-wing populists are similarly strong. They are united by the hatred of the EU.
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Vincent Morelle is now working in Poland in Krakow