On TV Channel France 2, Marine Le Pen announces that she is stepping down as the leader of the National Front Party. Leaving her party at this point is a bold move.
"This evening I decided to take my leave of the presidency of the National Front. I will be above partisan considerations."
She is attempting to broaden her base. She wants to expand beyond the voters of the National Front Party. “Tonight, I am not the president of the National Front, I am the presidential candidate, the one who wants to gather all the French around a project of hope, of prosperity, of security.”
Le Pen received 7.6 million votes on Sunday, which a record for someone from the National Front Party. She has taken some very strong positions including drastically reducing immigration by implementing an immediate moratorium, then “automatically” expelling illegal immigrants and cutting immigration to 10,000 per year; closing “extremist” mosques; stifling free trade, changing France’s relationship with the European Union; fixing retirement age at 60 and instituting a 35-hour work week.
She is facing many foes, including France's Prime Minister Bernard Cazeneuve who is urging voters to vote for Macron, Le Pen's opponent.
BREAKING: French prime minister calls on voters to reject far-right leader Marine Le Pen in runoff and vote for Emmanuel Macron.
— The Associated Press (@AP) 23 April 2017
Nigel Farange of Fox News was one of the leaders of the successful Brexit movement in Great Britain.
The entire global establishment are backing Macron in France. That should tell you everything you need to know. pic.twitter.com/And0FW34wm
— Nigel Farage (@Nigel_Farage) 24 April 2017
Monday's polls showed about 60% of the voters were going for Macron and less than 40% for Le Pen. There is a debate scheduled for May 3 and it will be televised.
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