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17 August 2023

Can Marine Le Pen win without the elites?

The French far-right politician has cast herself as the candidate of the people. That might be a mistake.

By Wolfgang Münchau

Can Marine Le Pen win any presidential election in France without the upper bourgeoisie class? This is an interesting question the French newspaper l’Opinion had a closer look at.

In her 2017 and 2022 election campaigns, the far-right politician was running as the candidate of the people against the candidate of the elites. Le Pen is never seen with industrialists or one of those rich French patriarchs. She was always defending the low-income earners but unlike politicians on the left she did not attack the rich. In 2022 she focused her campaigning in small towns and villages, more out of financial necessity than by design.

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