Marine Le Pen struggling

(B2) Despite all her declarations, the leader of the National Front has still not succeeded in forming a political group in the European Parliament

She had promised it. Victorious in France, the leader of the National Front intended, once she arrived at the European Parliament, to form a group with her lifelong allies. On paper, it was possible. The very good score in France almost allowed the National Front, on its own, to fulfill the first condition set for forming a group in Parliament: having 25 deputies. It remained to fulfill the second condition: to have 7 nationalities. Le Pen was able to count very quickly on his four allies: the Dutch Freedom Party of Geert Wilders, the Austrian FPO, the Northern League Italian, and the Fleam's concern Belgian. There was still a small myriad of isolated, populist, Eurosceptic MEPs to convince... But Marine Le Pen has somewhat presumed on her strengths and her knowledge of the European Parliament.

In 15 days, no rallying occurred. And the leader of the National Front, usually talkative, is walled today in a cautious silence. " Until June 24, we do not communicate on the group” replied his office in Brussels. The reality is that each time Marine Le Pen has approached possible candidates, they have fled to more solid horizons. The Swedish Democrats (SD), a time approached, very quickly answered no. Same refusal wiped with others. Today, Marine Le Pen is destitute. If she cannot quickly rally a Lithuanian from Order and Justice and the Polish nationalist Korwin-Mikke, she will either have to give up forming a group – a defeat! - or accept the candidacy of certain neo-Nazis, such as the Jobbik Hungarian. What she has always refused, all in her campaign of demonization. Last solution: speak with the English of UKIP, supporters of a United Kingdom that is not a member of the European Union. A somewhat unnatural alliance, each of the leaders having a strong personality, but perhaps necessary.

At Nigel Farage, the leader of UKIP, the situation is indeed not all rosy either. Admittedly, he succeeded in rallying the 5 Star Movement of the former Italian comedian Beppe Grillo. A good shot! But he lost some feathers in the battle. The British Tories have, in a campaign of methodical seduction, rounded up 4 Danes from Dansk Folkepartei, 2“True Finns” and 1 Dutch. To the point that today, like Marine Le Pen, the bubbling Europhobic leader finds himself without a group, not having the necessary 7 nationalities. However, without a group in the European Parliament, goodbye credibility, means and above all visibility...

Nicolas Gros Verheyde

Published in Ouest-France