Le Pen distances party from AfD over immigration row
In a recent statement, Marine Le Pen, leader of the French far-right, expressed her disagreement with a proposal to expel immigrants en masse. This plan is allegedly being supported by a segment of Germany's AfD, with whom she shares an EU parliament alliance. The discussion reportedly took place at a gathering where members of the AfD, a party currently experiencing a surge in popularity, met with extremists such as a prominent Austrian far-right figure.
- Europe
- AFP
- Published Date: 06:28 | 25 January 2024
- Modified Date: 06:28 | 25 January 2024
French far-right leader Marine Le Pen said Thursday she disagreed with the idea of mass expulsion of immigrants, which is reportedly being backed by part of Germany's AfD, her EU parliament ally.
Members of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, which is riding high in opinion polls, reportedly discussed the idea at a meeting with extremists, including a prominent Austrian far-right leader.
The proposed policy was the mass deportation of foreigners as well as "non-assimilated citizens".
Since news of the meeting was leaked earlier this month by investigative media outlet Correctiv, hundreds of thousands of people have taken to the streets across Germany in protest.
"I am in complete disagreement with the proposal that was apparently discussed, or decided on, at that meeting," Le Pen told a news conference.
Le Pen is the parliamentary party leader of the National Rally (RN) party. She has been trying to soften its image since taking over from her father, Jean-Marie Le Pen, who is notorious for xenophobic and anti-Semitic remarks.
She was runner-up in the last two presidential elections, losing both times to Emmanuel Macron.
Her party's deputies belong to the same European Parliament group as the AfD, an arrangement Le Pen said was now up for discussion.
"We are going to have to talk about divergences if they are as large as this one," she told journalists.
"It is my opinion that we have a major point of contention with the AfD," she said, adding that there could be "consequences for our capacity to be allies in the same group".
Le Pen said she stood for "all French people, no matter how they acquired their nationality" even if her party did not always agree with the criteria the authorities applied when granting citizenship.
"We have never backed any kind of re-migration in the sense of taking French nationality away from people who acquired it," she said.
The National Rally party -- the presidency of which Le Pen handed over to Jordan Bardella, 28, in 2022 -- has been holding joint rallies with the AfD in preparation for European elections in June.
Recent polls suggest that the RN will emerge as the big winner in the European election with around one-third of the French vote, some 10 points ahead of a coalition led by Macron's Renaissance party.