Looking out across hundreds of flag-waving supporters at a rally in the northern city of Lille, the far-right leader Marine Le Pen told the crowd that the Front National was the only party that could reassure France in this moment of “infinite sadness”.
The death of 130 people in the Paris terrorist attacks was, she claimed, the result of government inaction, lies, and, above all, its “crazy, undiscerning immigration policy”. The Socialist president, François Hollande, who had declared France’s war on terrorism was “a war chief who hasn’t even got the measure of the enemy!” she boomed. Only 10 months after the attacks on Charlie Hebdo and a Paris kosher supermarket left 17 dead, the government had failed to protect French people from another attack and was “more than just responsible!” she cried. The crowd stamped their feet and roared support, chanting “Hollande resign! Hollande resign!”
The political fallout of the Paris terror attacks looks likely to shake France’s Socialist government this Sunday when the country votes in the first round of key regional elections. Even though Hollande has seen his popularity rise since the attacks, this has not helped his wider party and its candidates. Instead, it is Le Pen’s far-right Front National that stands to make the most gains at the ballot box. » | Angelique Chrisafis in Lille | Tuesday, December 1, 2015
