For Immediate Release
Sunday 19 June 2022
French elections: Vote for Le Pen’s National Rally a warning for us all
Marine Le Pen’s fascist National Rally has continued to establish itself in the mainstream of the French political system – gaining 89 seats in parliamentary elections following on from her 41 percent in April’s Presidential elections. The party will now be able to form a parliamentary group.
The National Rally has seen its representation rise eleven fold over what it secured in the 2017 parliamentary elections.
Le Pen’s National Rally was previously affiliated with fascist groups like British National Party and National Front in Britain.
Despite gains for the left, anti racists and anti fascists say that Le Pen’s support should stand as a massive warning that the fascist right can breakthrough.
Weyman Bennett, Stand Up To Racism co convenor, said:
“‘Like Macron, Boris Johnson has used racism to deflect criticism from his government’s handling of the economic crisis. The Rwanda deportation fights and the ramping up of racism and scapegoating could potentially give legitimacy to the far right in Britain – just as they have given legitimacy to Le Pen in France.
Britain’s leading ‘home grown’ fascist Tommy Robinson was an enthusiastic supporter of Le Pen’s recent Presidential campaign”.
Sabby Dhalu, Stand up to Racism Co-Convenor said:
“For the far right National Rally to go from 8 seats in 2017 to a projected 80-100 seats according to exits polls for the French National Assembly elections, shows that we must redouble our efforts to fight the far right and fascism. This is a Europe wide problem and must be rooted out. The only way to fight this scourge is to unite against the far right and stand up to not concede to racism, Islamophobia and antisemitism.”
For further info and quotes:
info@standuptoracism.org.uk
