French far-right in pole position for bellwether by-election

[FarCenter]

AFP - France's far-right Front National (FN) was in pole position Sunday to win a bellwether by-election expected to cement the party's status as a political force to be reckoned with by capitalising on economic gloom and fears of rising crime.

The eurosceptic and anti-immigration party founded by Jean-Marie Le Pen has for years been largely regarded as a pariah in French politics but it has gained significantly in strength and popularity in recent months.

The party's candidate Laurent Lopez gained 40.4 percent of the vote in the first round of a by-election in the southeastern town of Brignoles on October 7, while an independent extreme-right contender won 9.1 percent.

The result sent shockwaves across France and prompted calls by the ruling left for a "republican front" to stem the party's progress.

The left, which has no candidates in the Brignoles run-off, has urged voters to choose the centre-right UMP candidate Catherine Delzers in Sunday's deciding round.

Analysts say an FN win in Brignoles, whose mayor belongs to the Communist party, could be a significant barometer of the national mood.

http://www.france24.com/en/20131013-french-far-right-pole-position-bellwether-election

[shenmue]

1. Uh-oh

They suck.

[blkmusclmachine]

2. French Tea Party.

The Contagion is metastasizing.

[pampango]

3. Anti-immigrant and anti-EU - sounds like the far-right in many European countries. n/t

[muriel_volestrangler]

4. They won.

A candidate for the French far-right National Front (FN) party has won a by-election in the south-east, amid signs the party is gaining in strength.

Laurent Lopez beat the centre-right UMP party by a wide margin in the town of Brignoles, winning 53.9% of the vote.

Speaking on TV, FN leader Marine Le Pen said the results showed "a real desire for change by the French".

The party, once seen as a pariah in French politics, has made significant gains in popularity in recent months.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-24514843

[FarCenter]

5. Apparently the FN is not so fringe anymore

French far-right candidate wins local by-election
http://www.france24.com/en/20131013-french-far-right-party-wins-local-election-national-front-fn-lopez

Laurent Lopez’s victory in Brignoles comes three days after a survey published in French weekly Le Nouvel Observateur described the FN as the country’s main political force. The poll said that the far-right party was tipped to secure 24 percent of the domestic vote in next May's elections for the European Parliament, ahead of both the ruling Socialist Party and the opposition UMP party.