France’s far-right National Front tops first round of regional vote

[ellenrr]

Source: AFP

France’s far-right National Front (FN) party rode a wave of fear over immigration and terrorism to storm to a commanding position in the first round of voting in the country’s high-stakes regional elections on Sunday.

The anti-immigration party led by Marine Le Pen scored around 28 percent of the vote nationally and topped the list in at least six of 13 regions, according to final estimates from the interior ministry.

The FN came ahead of both former president Nicolas Sarkozy’s Les Républicains (formerly the UMP), which earned 27 percent, and President François Hollande’s Socialists, with 23.5 percent, official estimates showed.

Le Pen and her 25-year-old niece Marion Marechal-Le Pen broke the symbolic 40 percent mark in their respective regions, shattering previous records for the party as they tapped into voter anger over a stagnant economy and security fears.



Read more: http://www.france24.com/en/20151206-france-far-right-national-front-le-pen-tops-first-round-regional-elections

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bad news!
a note of hope from the article:
"Despite its commanding position, the FN now faces a tougher battle in a second round of voting next Sunday after the Socialists announced they were withdrawing candidates in three regions in a bid to block the far right from power."

[ellenrr]

1. Le Pen's rhetoric should sound familiar to anyone following the GOP campaign:

(from the article)

The FN received a first boost with the migrant crisis,” Bruno Jeudy, political editor at French magazine Paris Match, told FRANCE 24.

“Le Pen ran a national campaign that was entirely focused on immigration. Then the Paris attacks came and it was an unexpected second boost. The momentum that already existed was increased tenfold.”

Le Pen was quick to associate the attacks with immigration and with refugees fleeing war-torn Syria for Europe.

“The Islamic State group keep their promises," Le Pen said in a speech last month. "They vowed to attack, and there were attacks in France. They said there'd be killers among migrants and indeed there were. Politicians here need to open their eyes. There is a link between massive immigration, failure to integrate, and radical Islamism.”

This is why Trump-fascist is more accurate than Trump-clown.

[Turbineguy]

2. Doing IS's bidding.

Conservatives will be the death of us all.

[DFW]

3. What did they expect?

They have been a disaster for the economy, have terrorized small business owners (since they never dare touch the biggies), have let the assimilation issue fester, and haven't been active, instead just reactive. I know people in France who were reliable voters for the left who are voting for Le Pen this time out of sheer exasperation. They can't stand her, but they want to send a message. I ask them if there isn't perhaps a less drastic way to send a message, and they just ask "such as?" With Sarkozy as the only viable alternative, I draw a blank when confronted with their question.

[ellenrr]

5. that would be like me voting for Trump to send a msg to Dems that I don't agree 100%

I don't buy your premise.
I think people have gone right-wing, as the article points out, same reason as have gone right-wing in US-
Politicians have manipulated people with weak minds.
Have played on their need for a scapegoat.
have played on their fears.

and yes it could happen here.

and when/if does, it will be too late to fight back.

[DFW]

6. You don't have to "buy" my premise

I'm there once a week for work, speak the language fluently, and have both employed and dealt with the French for over forty years. My opinions and impressions are from a LOT of first hand experience. If you are there as frequently, or anywhere near as frequently, and speak the language as well, then I concede that you may have another perspective, depending on whom you interact with.

The French that I know, in general, have NEVER been susceptible to far right propaganda, and still see the ones they are voting for as charlatans. The ones on the Mediterranean coast probably see things differently. I saw that in the USA in 1968 when some far left people I knew voted for George Wallace as a protest against the "no difference" choice between Humphrey and Nixon (very similar slogans to 2000 with Gore and Bush). Like in 1968, they found out WHAT a difference there was--and as you observed: too late to fight back.

[The2ndWheel]

7. It is easy to do though

Politicians have manipulated people with weak minds.
Have played on their need for a scapegoat.
have played on their fears.

and yes it could happen here.

Manipulative politicians and/or weak minded people can be your scapegoats, and that it can happen here is playing on fear. That's what politics are all about.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

4. Anybody who doesn't think it can't happen here is delusional.

The center left better get its shit together!!!