Le Pen's France

A nightmare of institutionalised racism, one million expulsions and neo-fascist social and economic policies if Le Pen is elected. David Tresilian, in Paris, reads the writing on the wall
Following National Front (FN) leader Jean- Marie Le Pen's victory over the Socialist Party candidate and Prime Minister Lionel Jospin in the first round of France's presidential elections, France is finally alerted to the dangers of NF power. Until last Sunday's surprise result, it was possible to dismiss Le Pen's racist and xenophobic views and concentrate on the serious competition between Jospin and Chirac, but now French commentators find themselves forced to give Le Pen and his views equal air- time to that of the mainstream parties.
"National preference" -- an idea intent on denying rights and benefits to members of France's immigrant population -- is a popular topic, together with Le Pen's economic and social views.
Meanwhile, daily protests against Le Pen and the NF continue throughout France, with 300,000 people surrounding the streets of the capital at the weekend. Further protests, supported by a coalition of leftist, anti-racist groups and many trade unions and professional associations are expected in the lead up to the second round vote on 5 May.
To combat France's high unemployment and poverty, the NF's manifesto has several suggestions. First, that "French employment should be reserved for French citizens," that any employer not complying would be sanctioned and all unemployed foreigners be "placed in transit camps before being deported."
Second, that social welfare -- unemployment benefit, health care benefits and rights to education, housing and child benefit -- be reserved for French citizens.
Third, that immigration, other than in "exceptional cases," be banned, all 10-year residence permits be withdrawn and foreigners, convicted of more than one criminal offence be expelled without appeal.
Fourth, that police powers be extended to allow them "to check and to arrest immigrant delinquents on French soil."
Under the banner of the "re-foundation of French nationality," the manifesto roots for stricter naturalisation procedures. In its view French nationality should only be obtainable "after the assimilation of the candidate has been verified, meaning ... (the candidate must acquire) the spiritual values, customs, language and habits that underpin French civilisation."
In order to "re-establish the true values of French civilisation," any child not demonstrating correct knowledge of the French language, would be expelled from school. Anyone not respecting the French language would be expelled. And school textbooks would be rewritten to reflect "the glorious pages of French history," in order to protect "French identity" and resist "Marxist conditioning, financial domination and cosmopolitan cultural imperialism".
To re-establish France's "national sovereignty", the European Union, described as "a prison within which France is disappearing," must be left and the Franc must be reinstated as the national currency.
Le Pen's immigration policies would result in the expulsion of more than one million people from France, analysts at the left-wing French daily Libération calculated. The FN also wants to review the citizenship laws so that the 70,000 who were given French nationality last year, either by being born on French soil of foreign parents or of marrying a French citizen, must seek sponsorship for in their citizenship application from their local authority.
"An Algerian worker, for example," Libération wrote, "who had been working in France legally for 30 years, would find himself automatically thrown out" if he lost his job. All immigrants would, therefore, be totally at the mercy of their employers.
FN education and culture policies revert to the pre-1960s curriculum content. All courses in the "language of origin" are banned, the largest affected group would be the Arabic speakers of Maghreb origin. In an FN government, public money could not be used to support artists, playwrights or writers who promoted a point of view hostile to that of the National Front. This means that "rap and techno" music, though popular amongst the young, would not receive public support.
The Pacte Civil de Solidarité (PACS) -- a Jospin-inspired law that protects the fiscal and legal rights of those social unions outside marriage -- would be revoked. Consequently, any foreigners granted French residence as a result of PACS, would be expelled.
In an attempt to scupper Le Pen's presidential chances, defeated Socialist Party candidate, Lionel Jospin, has urged his supporters to "express their refusal of the extreme right" in the second round of the elections. Jaques Chirac, the French president and leader of the conservative Rassemblement pour la République (RPR) Party, described the FN's success as a "catastrophe" for France. The president then refused to partake in the customary television debate between presidential candidates.
Le Pen believes he will win "between 40 and 51 per cent" of the votes in the next round. He has denounced the Left as hypocrites, arguing that "after having described Chirac as a thief, as corrupt and as a liar, (the Left) is now calling upon voters to vote for him".
Le Pen portrays himself as an honest man with the interests of the French people at heart. He claims he is the enemy of "mafias, political lobby groups, politicians and economic and cultural groups of every sort." Le Pen says he "speaks in the name of all those who are not satisfied with the development of French politics, in particular in the social and economic fields."
Le Pen denounced Chirac's appeal for a "Popular Front", or alliance, against the National Front as "nothing but an attempt to save himself from the magistrates who are interested in talking to him about a number of 'problems' once his presidential immunity is lost."
A writ against Chirac was issued last year, concerning charges of corruption against the Paris City Council where Chirac was mayor in the 1980s. Chirac refused to cooperate with the investigation, citing presidential immunity.
"I am denounced as a threat," Le Pen said, "as the one who wants to destroy the Republic. Granted -- but not just any republic, rather the republic of the old boys' networks, of friends in high places, of men for all seasons, which has shared power in this country for years."
Le Pen's success in the first round of the elections was attributed to a 30 per cent abstention rate, the highest ever for a French presidential election, the apathy of the main parties' campaigns and the division amongst the Leftist candidates.
Though many commentators are adamant that President Chirac will be re-elected for a further seven-year term, they admit that the ground swell of opinion that brought the FN to prominence is not likely to disappear. Some commentators suggest that the immigration, employment, social security problems and anxiety over France's national and global identity will increase, regardless of the victor of the election.
Le Monde associated the FN policies with those of other growing extreme-right parties in Europe, such as "the FPO in Austria, the Vlaams Blok in Belgium and the Northern League in Italy." It noted that all these parties shared a common anti-immigrant and xenophobic stance.
Le Pen has made this stance the centrepiece of his policies. Recently he challenged the supposedly "anti-racist British Prime Minister Blair" to accept a "special train" of asylum seekers from the Sangatte Camp in Northern France, saying that Blair "doesn't want them either."
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