She said: “The French people have had enough of being treated like a herd of sheep”.
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His Socialist Party (PS) has withdrawn from the second round in two regions to unify the anti-FN vote.
Jacques Sapir, Director of Studies at the French School for Advanced Studies in Social Sciences told Sputnik that Le Pen could win in the first round of presidential election, however French political system would allow her rivals to achieve victory in the second one. Out of five presidential attempts, he came the closest to the top job in 2002, making it to the second round of the elections, before losing out to Jacques Chirac.
The National Front’s anti-immigrant stance has resonated in a country shaken by the November 13 terrorist attacks in Paris, in which extremists killed 130 people and wounded more than 300 others.
“There is too big of a risk of victory for the National Front for us to keep our candidates in this region”, said Bruno Le Roux, the Socialists’ parliamentary leader.
That is the highest score ever for the anti-Europe, anti-immigration party, which came first in six regions out of 13. The Republicans of former President Nicolas Sarkozy took 27 per cent, and Hollande’s Socialists 23.3 per cent, though both mainstream blocs will be able to draw support from smaller allies in next Sunday’s second round that may save control over regional legislatures.
“Rather than withdrawing, we need to confront them”, said Jean-Pierre Masseret, despite finishing a distant third in the eastern Alsace-Champagne-Ardenne-Lorraine region.
Marine Le Pen also admitted it was a “magnificent result” welcomed with “humility, seriousness and a deep sense of responsibility”, Le Figaro quoted her as saying.
Recent polls suggest a strong rise in support for the National Front, despite President Francois Hollande’s recovery in opinion polls since the Paris attacks.
Despite the antisemitism of Ms Le Pen’s father, who led the party until 2011, almost 14 per cent of the Jewish community voted for the NF in the 2012 election.
While regional elections do not affect national policy they are a good barometer of the national mood.
Sunday’s elections took place under the state of emergency the government declared following the Paris attacks.
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“We are destined to realise the national unity this country needs”, she added, promising to lead voters “on the path to greatness and happiness”. But with this choice she indeed has become the national front – and the third major force in French politics along with conservatives and Socialists. But in two regions – the north and on the Cote d’Azur – the National Front has smashed the opposition.
