The de-demonisation of the Front National
Résumé
First paragraph:
A recent poll suggests that one-third of French people agree with the ideas of the Front National. What lies behind this apparent normalization of France’s once outcast far-right?
The most recent poll on the popularity of France’s Front National (FN), a regular barometer conducted since 1984, shows that one third of respondents agree with the ideas of the Front National. For the first time in thirty years, those who see the Front National as “a danger for democracy” are no longer a majority (47% who do, versus 47% who don’t). This is 8 points more than just 1 year ago and at a level not seen since the transformative year of 1984. Do these figures indicate that Marine Le Pen has succeeded in her strategy to “de-demonise” the French far-right? It would be premature to say so.