French far-right leader Marine Le Pen echoes Trump's populism while launching presidential bid
The leader of National Party said she will curb migration and act against illegal immigrants.
French far-right leader Marine Le Pen on Sunday began her presidential campaign by echoing the populist promises of United States President Donald Trump. She said if elected, she will curb immigration and act against all illegal migrants, Reuters reported.
Le Pen’s campaign slogan is “In the Name of the People”, where Trump’s is “America First”. She has proposed to amend the French Constitution to include “national preference” for certain laws. “When you arrive in a country, you don’t start violating laws, demanding rights,” she said, according to AP.
Le Pen has called for citizens to follow the US presidential elections, where Trump voters “put their own national interests first”, reported AFP. The National Front chief is leading the first round of polls. “Financial globalisation and Islamist globalisation are helping each other out”, she said adding that these two ideologies were bringing France “to its knees”.
The party published Le Pen’s 144 “commitments” on Saturday, in which she promises that France will be separated from the European Union and the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, reported AP. “We are at a crossroad....This election is a choice of civilisation,” she said at a rally on Sunday.
“The impossible is becoming possible...just as it is possible for presidents like Donald Trump to not only be elected in the face of a system ranged against them, but also that they keep their promises,” she said to the crowd which chanted “On est chez nous!” [This is our country].
Other presidential candidates in the country include far-left leader Jean-Luc Melechon and centrist leader from the Socialist Party, Emmanuel Macron. The right’s leading candidate Francois Fillon has been embroiled in a corruption scandal. The final rounds of the elections will be held on May 7.