Saudi FM calls Indian, Pakistani counterparts to discuss developments    Al Hilal thrash Gwangju to reach AFC Champions League Elite semi-finals    Saudi Arabia cracks down on fraudulent Hajj campaigns, urges pilgrims to use official channels    Nammos Amala Resort to open soon with Saudi-Greek designs    Saudi Arabia completes 674 Vision 2030 initiatives, achieves 93% of KPIs as ninth-year milestone marked    Literature Commission inaugurates Saudi Pavilion at Muscat Book Fair    Saudi Minister of Culture holds talks with his Costa Rican counterpart in Jeddah    Alkhorayef praises advancements in Al-Kharj food industries sector    MHRSD: 80% of recruitment offices are non-compliant with regulations    At least 50 Palestinians killed in Israeli strikes across Gaza    Teenage girl killed in French school stabbing attack    Trump claims meeting with China after Beijing denies any trade negotiations    GACA chief chairs 16th meeting of the Steering Committee on aviation's strategy    Saudi Theater Commission launches its Work and Learn Project in UK    The season has begun — and one comment shook us all    Jennifer Lopez dazzles in Jeddah with a Formula 1 performance    Saudi Arabia open to expanded 64-team World Cup in 2034, says sports minister    Average life expectancy in Saudi Arabia rises to78.8 years    Film Commission launches 'Cinema' initiative to enhance content    Famed Philippine film star Nora Aunor dies at 71    Pakistani star's Bollywood return excites fans and riles far right    Veteran Bollywood actor Manoj Kumar dies at 87    Bollywood actress vindicated over boyfriend's death after media hounding    Grand Mufti rules against posting prayers and preaching in mosques on social media    Exotic Taif Roses Simulation Performed at Taif Rose Festival    Asian shares mixed Tuesday    Weather Forecast for Tuesday    Saudi Tourism Authority Participates in Arabian Travel Market Exhibition in Dubai    Minister of Industry Announces 50 Investment Opportunities Worth over SAR 96 Billion in Machinery, Equipment Sector    HRH Crown Prince Offers Condolences to Crown Prince of Kuwait on Death of Sheikh Fawaz Salman Abdullah Al-Ali Al-Malek Al-Sabah    HRH Crown Prince Congratulates Santiago Peña on Winning Presidential Election in Paraguay    SDAIA Launches 1st Phase of 'Elevate Program' to Train 1,000 Women on Data, AI    41 Saudi Citizens and 171 Others from Brotherly and Friendly Countries Arrive in Saudi Arabia from Sudan    Saudi Arabia Hosts 1st Meeting of Arab Authorities Controlling Medicines    General Directorate of Narcotics Control Foils Attempt to Smuggle over 5 Million Amphetamine Pills    NAVI Javelins Crowned as Champions of Women's Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) Competitions    Saudi Karate Team Wins Four Medals in World Youth League Championship    Third Edition of FIFA Forward Program Kicks off in Riyadh    Evacuated from Sudan, 187 Nationals from Several Countries Arrive in Jeddah    SPA Documents Thajjud Prayer at Prophet's Mosque in Madinah    SFDA Recommends to Test Blood Sugar at Home Two or Three Hours after Meals    SFDA Offers Various Recommendations for Safe Food Frying    SFDA Provides Five Tips for Using Home Blood Pressure Monitor    SFDA: Instant Soup Contains Large Amounts of Salt    Mawani: New shipping service to connect Jubail Commercial Port to 11 global ports    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Delivers Speech to Pilgrims, Citizens, Residents and Muslims around the World    Sheikh Al-Issa in Arafah's Sermon: Allaah Blessed You by Making It Easy for You to Carry out This Obligation. Thus, Ensure Following the Guidance of Your Prophet    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques addresses citizens and all Muslims on the occasion of the Holy month of Ramadan    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



An ugly win
Published in The Saudi Gazette on 08 - 12 - 2015

Under the slogan "We are Ready", France's far-right National Front is the clear winner in Sunday's first round of the country's regional elections. Almost a third of those who voted backed this racist party led by Marine Le Pen. In Marseilles, with its large Muslim and West African population, the NF's support topped 40 percent.
The Republican party of former president Nicolas Sarkozy trailed the NF in second place and the governing socialist of Francois Hollande came a poor third. Interestingly, Hollande's once-dismal approval ratings have shot up because of his handling of the Paris massacre, but his party has not seen a similar benefit. Along with Sarkozy's center-right Republicans, the established parties have taken a battering.
In her crowing speech welcoming the results, the NF leader said that the first round result represented a rejection "of the old political class". And it is hard to disagree with her. The rise of maverick politicians who claim to be outside of the political system, who trade heavily on their newness, even on their lack of experience of political office, is a cause for concern. Political contenders like Donald Trump, not only glory in their political inexperience but go out of their way to mock the measured tones of middle-of-the-road policies. Trump's verbal excess have scandalized the Washington political establishment but caused his apparently growing army of supporters to squirm with delight.
Marine le Pen has by contrast sanitized the rhetoric of her neo-Fascist party. But the echoes of past inflammatory speeches, particularly on immigration, on Muslims and on the European Union still circulate around her every time steps up to a podium. The core bigots in the NF wink at each other as their leader trots out her emollient and reasonable-sounding protests. They know her real thinking. And nervous bourgeois voters now feel confident in giving her their vote because the party has concealed its ugly, thuggish face. And besides, as Le Pen has said, after the Paris massacre, "something must be done".
It is however fear, not prejudice that is propelling the majority of French voters. And that fear is not at best racist. As Bill Clinton told his advisers in his bid for the White House "It's the economy, stupid". And France's economy is struggling. Inflexible labor legislation, high taxation, high welfare and health spending and too many loss-making state enterprises have all combined to drive the country into recession, and keep it there.
Unemployment remains stubbornly high. This affects everyone, from the immigrant sink areas of the banlieus to white industrial workers in France's spreading industrial rust bucket. It is economic peril that has been exploited by the NF just as it was by its Nazi predecessor in Germany. When people are fearful for their future they can easily be persuaded to blame migrants, even though these people are French born and bred. They can also be seduced into blaming the establishment politicians who have promoted and protected the vision of a multicultural society.
The grim signs are that the NF will consolidate its success next Sunday. If this is indeed the case, then it has given Marine Le Pen a convincing political platform to run for the French presidency in 2017. That in itself is disturbing enough, but unless some momentous change occurs before then, on current showing, it would seem very likely that she would win.


Clic here to read the story from its source.