French far-right leader stripped of (parliamentary) immunity.
French far-right leader Marine Le Pen has been stripped of her European Parliament immunity and may now face charges of racism over comments she made comparing Muslims praying on streets to Nazi occupation during World War II.
Parliamentarians voted on Tuesday to ratify the decision, as recommended by a judicial committee, so that Le Pen, who leads the French National Front party, could defend herself against a charge of inciting racial hatred brought by French prosecutors in 2011.
A trial in France would be a setback for the National Front as it seeks to beat the Socialist Party and mainstream centre-right UMP party in local and European Parliament elections next year.
Le Pen's anti-immigrant, anti-EU party is gaining support at the expense of President Francois Hollande's Socialists in a darkening economic context, as high and rising joblessness fuels the spread of her Euro-sceptic views.
If found guilty, Le Pen, right, would face a maximum penalty of one year in prison and $60,000 in fines
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/europe/2013/07/201372134255808880.html
Sound like Le Pen intends to use the trial as a lead-in to the next year's elections. Not surprising, I suppose. She has never been one to hide her racist, anti-immigrant, anti-EU point of view. As a matter of fact, it is her whole campaign strategy and always has been.
