French Front National launch Euro Election Campaign

The aging Jean-Marie Le Pen launched his party's campaign for the June European Parliamentary elections last weekend and some good coverage is provided by EurActiv, linked here. The article highlights a potential split on the right of the French election campaign between Philippe de Villiers who leads the Libertas - MPF effort and the Front National, a quote: +++

Other nationalist candidates in France

The FN is not alone in the family of French nationalist eurosceptics. Nicolas Dupont-Aignan heads the movement Debout la République , while Philippe de Villiers and Frédéric Nihous are now allies under the banner of Libertas, the party which successfully led the campaign against the Lisbon Treaty in Ireland (EurActiv 11/03/09). Moreover, the Parti de la France , founded by Carl Lang, a former member of the FN, will present candidates in at least two districts.

In fact, some arguments put forward on Sunday by Le Pen are very similar to those presented by the Movement pour la France , a party headed by Philippe de Villiers. Both vehemently oppose Turkey's accession to the EU and have expressed fears that Europe is planning to slap a "dangerous product" label on Camembert cheese.

+++

I will report on the campaign in France from time to time as there is much scope for an upset given the refusal to accept the Referendum result over the EU Reform Treaty now re-packaged as the Lisbon Treaty and slipped through the National Assembly almost in the dead of night and needless to say without suggestion of another referendum.