'Should our youth suffer like Spain's?': Le Pen
France's far-right Front National leader Marine Le Pen has used the example of struggling young Spaniards having to look for work abroad as a reason to vote for her in her country's next elections.
“Look at young Greeks, Spaniards and Italians. Do you think they’ve chosen to leave? They’ve been forced into exile,” Le Pen said during a press conference held on the final day of the Front National’s Youth Division summer camp.
“Listen to Spain’s youth: ‘We’re not leaving, they’re kicking us out’”.
Marine, daughter of the Front National’s former leader Jean Marie Le Pen, called for the breakup of France’s National Assembly weeks after President François Hollande’s socialist government was brought into disarray by left-wing members openly criticizing his deficit-cutting strategy.
Recent polls show Hollande’s approval rating has dropped to a record 13 percent low, putting Marine Le Pen “at the gates of power” in France with greater popular support, as Prime Minister Manuel Valls put it.
Youth unemployment in France stood at 22.40 percent in June 2014 compared to Spain’s 53.8 for the same month, now officially the highest rate in the Eurozone.
Despite an openly anti-immigration rhetoric that many French people consider xenophobic, the Front National’s protectionist and nationalist stance continues to win Le Pen more votes at a time of economic and political turmoil in France.
The 46 year old told journalists on Sunday she would recover “France and French people’s interests” if she won the next elections as a means of avoiding what is happening in neighbouring Spain, Italy and Greece.
Comments
See Also
“Look at young Greeks, Spaniards and Italians. Do you think they’ve chosen to leave? They’ve been forced into exile,” Le Pen said during a press conference held on the final day of the Front National’s Youth Division summer camp.
“Listen to Spain’s youth: ‘We’re not leaving, they’re kicking us out’”.
Marine, daughter of the Front National’s former leader Jean Marie Le Pen, called for the breakup of France’s National Assembly weeks after President François Hollande’s socialist government was brought into disarray by left-wing members openly criticizing his deficit-cutting strategy.
Recent polls show Hollande’s approval rating has dropped to a record 13 percent low, putting Marine Le Pen “at the gates of power” in France with greater popular support, as Prime Minister Manuel Valls put it.
Youth unemployment in France stood at 22.40 percent in June 2014 compared to Spain’s 53.8 for the same month, now officially the highest rate in the Eurozone.
Despite an openly anti-immigration rhetoric that many French people consider xenophobic, the Front National’s protectionist and nationalist stance continues to win Le Pen more votes at a time of economic and political turmoil in France.
The 46 year old told journalists on Sunday she would recover “France and French people’s interests” if she won the next elections as a means of avoiding what is happening in neighbouring Spain, Italy and Greece.
Join the conversation in our comments section below. Share your own views and experience and if you have a question or suggestion for our journalists then email us at [email protected].
Please keep comments civil, constructive and on topic – and make sure to read our terms of use before getting involved.
Please log in here to leave a comment.