The condemnation of Donald Trump crossed worldwide borders and party ideologies this week, the tycoon’s assertion that all Muslims should be barred from entering the U.S. receiving widespread opprobrium from right and left around the world. “We will show what we are able to do”. In case the two Le Pens win their areas, the anti-immigration National Front will shatter the present political landscape in France – and Marine Le Pen will boost her chances in the 2017 presidential campaign in France.
Advertisement
Fears over immigration, the Islamic State attacks in Paris that killed 130 people last month, disaffection with mainstream politics and frustration at high unemployment were among factors behind the party’s best performance in its history.
Since the first round, however, the third placed Socialist Party has pulled out of the race in both those key regions, urging its supporters to back Nicolas Sarkozy’s The Republicans to keep the FN out of power.
Polls published on Wednesday and Thursday however suggest that Valls’ drastic electoral tactics might work, with their conservative adversaries pulling ahead in the runoff round.
The same poll indicated that the Republicans’ candidate in the south, Christian Estrosi, would score a clear victory over Marechal-Le Pen by 54 percent to 46 percent.
Her niece Marion Marechal-Le-Pen likewise topped the vote in a key southeastern region that includes the Riviera coast called Provence-Alpes-Cote d’Azur (PACA).
But she also said that National Front regions would “open each file” when deciding on subsidies for associations and other interests and “stop, reform or continue”. The lead candidates in all 13 French regions contesting the presidency of leadership councils shared the stage with Le Pen. Some 16 percent of those surveyed planned to vote for Masseret.
Advertisement
According to final official figures, the National Front won 27.73 percent of the first-round vote nationwide followed by the conservative the Republicans party and its allies that secured 26.65 percent.
