Down in polls, France's Le Pen targets immigration for boost

[webfact]

Down in polls, France's Le Pen targets immigration for boost

By John Irish

REUTERS

 

Marine Le Pen, French National Front (FN) political party leader and candidate for French 2017 presidential election, reacts at the end of her campaign rally in Paris, France, April 17, 2017. REUTERS/Pascal Rossignol

 

PARIS (Reuters) - Far-right candidate Marine Le Pen sought on Tuesday to turn the debate in the final week of France's presidential election to immigration as she tried to reverse a dip in polls.

 

Surveys of voting intentions have for months shown Le Pen and centrist Emmanuel Macron qualifying on Sunday for the May 7 run-off. But the National Front leader has been under pressure since the start of April as conservative Francois Fillon and far-leftist Jean-Luc Melenchon closed the gap on the favourites.

 

Speaking to a rally in Paris on Monday, she vowed to suspend all immigration with an immediate moratorium, shield voters from globalisation and strengthen security. Those subjects won her core backing, and she hopes it can give her boost with about 30 percent of voters still undecided.

 

"For several weeks, we will need to assess the situation. The reality is that immigration is massive in our country and that migration flood that we are experiencing is not a fantasy," Le Pen told RTL radio on Tuesday as she fleshed out details of the moratorium announcement.

 

The measure has not been part of her programme, although she has put on record that she wants to limit annual immigration to just 10,000 people a year.

 

"I will carry out this moratorium for the exact purpose of implementing this 10,000 figure," she said.

 

Until now, Le Pen has struggled to get her opponents in the presidential race to debate her party's trademark tough security and immigration stance. She, by contrast, has been put on the defensive over her position on leaving the euro zone, a proposal that lacks wide support.

 

Two polls on Tuesday showed Fillon and Melenchon still a few percentage points away from Le Pen and Macron. She would be beaten by any of the three others in a run-off, polls have repeatedly shown.

 

Le Pen's stance on immigration mainly competes with that of former prime minister Fillon, who despite being plagued by a financial scandal is slowly recovering in the polls, and has also targeted far-right voters.

 

Fillon told Europe 1 radio on Tuesday that Le Pen's moratorium idea was nonsensical, and that while numbers should come down, the key was to impose the country's values and identity.

 

"Immigration must be regulated because we have an economic, social and housing situation that doesn't enable us to welcome as many people who want to come here," Fillon said.

 

"(But) a moratorium makes no sense. What threatens us is not immigration, but the surrender of our values and our history. If we are proud of our history and defend it, then we will integrate foreigners more easily."

 

Security - which Le Pen links closely to immigration - was threatening to once again become a campaign issue on Tuesday after two men were arrested in Marseille, in southern France, on suspicion of planning an attack during the voting.

 

More than 230 people have died in militant Islamist attacks over the past two years, mostly at the hands of home-grown jihadists, often of north African descent.

 

However, with no major attacks on French soil since last summer, polls show that unemployment, stuck around 10 percent, and political integrity - an issue that has arisen after accusations of nepotism levelled at Fillon in particular since early this year - are bigger issues for voters.

 

SARKOZY, JUPPE BACK FILLON

 

Despite his recovery, Fillon is arguably in fourth place. One of Tuesday's four opinion polls put him on a lower score than Melenchon, as several others have done in past days and weeks. Those that pit him against the far-left showman in the second round show him losing that battle by a big margin.

 

Former President Nicolas Sarkozy, a divisive figure whose backing may be a mixed blessing for Fillon, on Tuesday urged voters to back the man who served under him as prime minister from 2007 to 2012, and who beat him to the party nomination in November.

 

"He has the experience, the desire and the project that will allow France to ensure an alternative to the last five disastrous years that we have experienced, (under Socialsit president Francois Hollande)" Sarkozy said in a video message posted on Facebook - a rare foray into the campaign by him.

 

Alain Juppe, also beaten by Fillon in the primaries but a more popular figure than Sarkozy, will be at Fillon's side on the campaign trail on Wednesday, a member of Fillon's entourage said.

 

Melenchon, meanwhile, was campaigning in Dijon in southeast France, with his trademark hologram image set to be transmitted to rallies in several other cities.

 

(For a graphic on 'French presidential election' click http://fingfx.thomsonreuters.com/gfx/rngs/FRANCE-ELECTION/010031D933E/index.html)

 

(Reporting by John Irish; Editing by Andrew Callus, Larry King)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2017-04-19

[mfd101]

2nd round: Macron vs Mélenchon? [in which case Macron wins] ...

[BigKahuna]

France is doomed without a strong leader. Same with the UK.

 

Jelly belly globalists are ruining countries for decades.

[SheungWan]

12 minutes ago, BigKahuna said:

France is doomed without a strong leader. Same with the UK.

 

Jelly belly globalists are ruining countries for decades.

Didn't do too well with the Vichy Regime. And those are the historical roots of the French NF. Have another go.

[BigKahuna]

Just now, SheungWan said:

Didn't do too well with the Vichy Regime. And those are the historical roots of the French NF. Have another go.

Enjoy the slide into a mess.

[abab]

What else to target in France ? When going to Paris one wonder if he didn't land in Africa...

 

 

[ujayujay]

2 hours ago, BigKahuna said:

France is doomed without a strong leader. Same with the UK.

 

Jelly belly globalists are ruining countries for decades.

Oh yes.....strong Leaders.....do you mean Hitler, Mussolini, Salazar, Franco etc.....?

[LammyTS1]

Hope Le Pen wins or a strong leader prevails or else goodbye France....

[mrfill]

8 hours ago, LammyTS1 said:

Hope Le Pen wins or a strong leader prevails or else goodbye France....

Here are some 'strong' leaders..

Saddam Hussein

M Gadaffi

Kim jon un

J Stalin

Napoleon

Gen Franco

Makarios

Assad

Marcos

Salazar

Mao Tse Tung

Khomeni

Putin

Radovic

Idi Amin

 

I'm not sure France really wants anyone like that lot.

[LammyTS1]

Here are some 'strong' leaders..
Saddam Hussein
M Gadaffi
Kim jon un
J Stalin
Napoleon
Gen Franco
Makarios
Assad
Marcos
Salazar
Mao Tse Tung
Khomeni
Putin
Radovic
Idi Amin
 
I'm not sure France really wants anyone like that lot.

Why do you compare these to Le Pen? You prefer Hollande?


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[ilostmypassword]

50 minutes ago, LammyTS1 said:

 

Why do you compare these to Le Pen? You prefer Hollande?


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Thanks for the info that Hollande is running.  So he must be doing it under an assumed name and in disguise.  Funny, now that you mention it, I've never seen a photo of Hollande and Le Pen together.

[LammyTS1]

Thanks for the info that Hollande is running.  So he must be doing it under an assumed name and in disguise.  Funny, now that you mention it, I've never seen a photo of Hollande and Le Pen together.

Sorry to disappoint you but Hollande is not in the running, which most French will be very thankful for.




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[ilostmypassword]

1 minute ago, LammyTS1 said:

Sorry to disappoint you but Hollande is not in the running, which most French will be very thankful for.




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Then why did you write this?

"Why do you compare these to Le Pen? You prefer Hollande?"

[LammyTS1]

Then why did you write this?
"Why do you compare these to Le Pen? You prefer Hollande?"

Where did I state Hollande was running in the election?




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[ilostmypassword]

1 minute ago, LammyTS1 said:

 

Where did I state Hollande was running in the election?




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Well, why else would you ask if someone preferred Hollande over LePen?  He's not running. But there are 3 other major candidates who are.

[LammyTS1]

Well, why else would you ask if someone preferred Hollande over LePen?  He's not running. But there are 3 other major candidates who are.

Please re read above posts about Saddam Hussain, Assad etc who are also not running.


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[ilostmypassword]

1 minute ago, LammyTS1 said:

 

Please re read above posts about Saddam Hussain, Assad etc who are also not running.


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So is your point that Hollande is another strong leader?  I would think from your earlier remarks not.

[LammyTS1]

So is your point that Hollande is another strong leader?  I would think from your earlier remarks not.

You are incorrect.

Now what is your point on the OP?


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[SheungWan]

The strong leader jaunt is just a dog-whistle support call for Putin.

 

 

[JHolmesJr]

Wasn't the Donald "down in the polls" too?

 

Pollsters…..hehe

[SheungWan]

4 minutes ago, JHolmesJr said:

Wasn't the Donald "down in the polls" too?

 

Pollsters…..hehe

You are so right. A friend in the UK has just gone out and placed a win-double on Le Pen and Jeremy Corbyn.

[JHolmesJr]

8 minutes ago, SheungWan said:

You are so right. A friend in the UK has just gone out and placed a win-double on Le Pen and Jeremy Corbyn.

well I don't know about corbyn…..he seems like a loser….just the way he talks….you don't even want to listen to his policies….a real personality problem.

 

but le pen has a forceful personality…hope she squeaks in….but frankly, the french might just punk out like the dutch.

[citybiker]

I can just imagine 'possible end of 2017 being:

May. UK leader (Hopefully)
Le Pen. France leader (unlikely)
Merkel. Germany's leader (highly likely)

France & Germany will continue with the EU project telling others how to run Europe while the black sheep UK doesn't play to the EU script whilst the likes of Italy, Greece and Spain focus on survival in some form or another.

And of course, putting Turkey's EU application on constant review.


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[mfd101]

I think Turkey is about to be taken OFF constant review & returned to the bottom drawer marked 'LATER'

[JHolmesJr]

5 hours ago, mfd101 said:

I think Turkey is about to be taken OFF constant review & returned to the bottom drawer marked 'LATER'

call me blinkered but turkey looks more asian to me than european

[dick dasterdly]

20 minutes ago, JHolmesJr said:

call me blinkered but turkey looks more asian to me than european

Middle eastern rather than Asian?

[Aforek]

17 hours ago, JHolmesJr said:

but le pen has a forceful personality…

she has just a big mouth with nothing behind  ; wait after her defeat in two weeks , she will have to go to justice because she is a thieve, paying her people with EU money ( she doesn't like Europe , but she likes money which belongs to Europe ) 

 

I feel very European, but I admit there are things to change, 27 countries so different in every way is too complicated; they would separate " rich " and " less rich" countries; they should have stay with the 6 founders countries , not accepting everybody who wanted to come 

 

Turkey has nothing to do in EU, it's not Europe ( only a very small part on the map, human invention ) 

[citybiker]

I think Turkey is about to be taken OFF constant review & returned to the bottom drawer marked 'LATER'

In an ideal world I'd agree with your POV.

However, if it was a perfect world, it wouldn't be.


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