How Marine Le Pen tries to go mainstream

Paris Marine Le Pen used to be called the “devil’s daughter” in France. The 53-year-old right-wing extremist is the daughter of Jean-Marie Le Pen, founder of the Front National party, which was known for its racist and fascist rhetoric. But for years Marine Le Pen has been trying to steer her party onto a more moderate course and to electoral success. She even renamed it the Rassemblement National (RN).

A second runoff between Emmanuel Macron and Le Pen could occur in April, as it currently ranks second behind the President in the polls. Le Pen, who is running for office for the third time, said she would not run again if she didn’t succeed this time.

Since their last duel with Macron in 2017, Le Pen has drawn consequences. She continued to “devil” her party, radical proposals were dropped from the program. If she was still aggressive back then, she seems much softer today. She avoids polemics and shows a softer side with pastel colored clothing, whereas she used to wear strict black suits.

Five years ago she was still promoting France’s exit from the EU with a “Frexit”, today she has abandoned it. She describes herself as a patriot and calls for more sovereignty for France. Their goal is a Europe of nations and less dependence on Brussels. With her strategy of normalization, Le Pen seems less dangerous to many people. But critics in her own ranks accuse her of no longer being radical enough.

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Their economic policy is more social, they support the lower classes. Le Pen presents herself as a candidate for purchasing power, wants, among other things, to reduce VAT on energy and advocates a pension from the age of 60 for French people who started working early. She still has a negative stance on the subject of migration, but is now showing it less with provocative slogans.

Up to 20 percent approval for Marine Le Pen

Marine Le Pen is back in second place behind Macron in the polls for the first ballot on April 10. She gets up to 20 percent approval, with her opponent it’s 27 to 30 percent. But the gap between the two favorites is slowly narrowing. In Macron’s circle, her rise should be observed with concern.

Unlike the President, Le Pen has a large pool of votes. In the runoff, she could get the votes of voters from far-right candidate Éric Zemmour, the anti-Macron voter, but also from leftist Jean-Luc Mélenchon. Macron, on the other hand, could only hope for a part of the conservative Valérie Pécresse voter and the moderate left, who are not very strong.

Her tactics in the election campaign also earned Le Pen points. While Zemmour and Pécresse held large meetings, Le Pen made as many television appearances as possible, where she was charming. Then she held a small press conference almost every week on one of her campaign topics. It was about pensions, education, the financing of your electoral program, energy, immigration or health, topics that are the focus of attention in France. She traveled the country, seeking contact with the people. In contrast to Macron, she seems more accessible and less aloof.

Emmanuel Macron

For the second time there could be a runoff between the incumbent and his challenger Marine Le Pen.

(Photo: Reuters)

The competitor from the far right, TV presenter Zemmour, initially disrupted her election campaign and disputed her runoff. He also allied himself with Le Pen’s niece, Marion Maréchal, who was a former Le Pen MP. Zemmour is even more right-wing than Le Pen, incites anti-refugees and appeals to a patriotic and middle-class constituency.

But the journalist, who was repeatedly convicted of “inciting racial hatred”, eventually had a positive impact on Le Pen’s image. She used to be a bogeyman and a threat to many – which is now embodied by Zemmour. Political experts in France believe he has done her a great service.

Zemmour’s admiration for Russia also eclipsed Le Pen’s during the Ukraine war. In 2018 he said: “I dream of a French Putin.” After the Russian attack on Ukraine, Zemmour had to backtrack and described it as “unjustified”. Too late, he is also called “Vladimir Zemmour” by political opponents.

Campaign loans not from Russia, but from Hungary

Le Pen met Vladimir Putin in 2017 and praised his “new vision” of the world. After the invasion, she then judged: “Vladimir Putin is wrong, he has crossed a red line.” This time, she won’t get loans for her election campaign from Russia, but from Hungary.

Though she tries to appear more tame, she occasionally makes scathing remarks reminiscent of old Marine Le Pen. She criticized Macron with the words: “The President is using the Ukraine war to scare the French because he believes that fear can benefit him.” proximity to the people. She has said goodbye to election spectacles, which she used to stage frequently, with supporters enthusiastically waving French flags. Like Macron, she has recognized that these seem out of place in times of the Ukraine war.

Quieter tones are in demand, aggressive election campaigns are almost non-existent. With her strategy of normalization, she could definitely reach the runoff again.

More: Presidential election: These are Emmanuel Macron’s competitors

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