Newsmaker: Le Pen, Finalist for Second Round of French Presidential Election

Home>>World

Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Monday, April 22, 2002

Newsmaker: Le Pen, Finalist for Second Round of French Presidential Election

DISCUSSION

CHINESE

SEND TO FRIEND

With an estimated 17 to 17.9 percent of ballots, French veteran far-rightist Jean-Marie Le Pen is expected to enter the second round of the French presidential election, challenging incumbent President Jacque Chirac on May 5.

Chirac got 19.7 to 20 percent of the ballots and French Prime Minister Lionel Jospin, who was almost certain to be one of the finalists in previous opinion polls, was on the third position andeliminated with 15.9 to 16 percent of the votes.

If the survey estimates were confirmed, it will be the first time in the French history that a far-right candidate enters the second round of presidential election.

The 73-year-old Le Pen is an instantly recognizable national figure with a pugnacious and articulate message that is still getting through among the French who put insecurity and unemployment as primary concerns in the presidential race.

Born in June 1928 in the Brittany town of Trinite-Sur-Mer, Le Pen was orphan of father at 14. He joined the Foreign Legion and fought the wars in Indochina in 1953 and in Algeria in 1957.

In 1972, he set up the Front National party. Acting firmly on an anti-crime and anti-immigration platform, Le Pen pushed his presidential share from 0.74 percent in 1974 to 14 percent in 1988and 15.1 percent in 1995.

In 1987, the far-rightist commented the Nazi camps and holocaust as "a detail of history," which earned him court cases both in France and abroad.

Five years ago, he was deprived of parliamentarian status and voter's rights following an election punch-up with a Socialist rival.

Earlier in April this year, he was fined 1,000 euro for vilification against Bruno Megret, his former colleague and apparent heir who split from the Front National and set up his ownfar-right party years ago.

Megret, also a presidential candidate this year, won 2.4 to 2.5percent of the votes on Sunday. He has called on his supporters toturn their votes to Le Pen when hearing the victory of the later.

Le Pen won the first round partly because the French people aregetting bored with the familiarity of main candidates Chirac and Jospin, who, what's more, presented similar programs.

To make his message more acceptable, Le Pen campaigned on familiar themes this year while moving away from the strident racism and anti-Semitism that used to be his trade marks.

"Massive immigration has just begun. It is the biggest problem facing France, Europe and the world. We risk being submerged," he said in a pre-presidential interview.

Blaming the immigrants for a 9 percent jobless rate and increasing crime cases in France, Le Pen promised to impose rigorous bans on immigration and to give priority to native Frenchin job market.

Le Pen married Pierrette Lalanne in 1960 and has three daughters.

Questions?Comments? Click here

Jospin to Quit Politics If Defeat Confirmed

Profile: French Socialist Presidential Candidate Lionel Jospin

News Analysis: Voter Apathy Overshadows French Election

Chinese Companies Required to Hold Sending More Workers to Israel ( 5 Messages)

Chinese Scientists Among First to Crack Genetic Code of Rice ( 10 Messages)

Chen Shui-bian Preaches Again "Taiwan Independence" ( 17 Messages)

China's Economy to Grow Above Six Percent ( 20 Messages)

Ins and Outs of a Young American's Roguery on Bus in China ( 115 Messages)

Venezuelan Parliament Refuses to Recognize Interim President ( 15 Messages)