French Presidential Elections:would you vote National Front?

[Ferenc]

The first round of the French presidential elections takes place on Sunday (where they vote for 2 candidates to go to the next round and fight it out for the presidency itself).

In 2002, the National Front (like the BNP in the UK) surprised and shocked everyone by gaining some 20% of the entire vote.

Many supporters of the Front National voted discretely so as not to attract negative attention from others, which is why there was such a shock when the result was declared 5 years ago.

As the polls that you can make on this forum are anonymous, how many of you have voted, will vote, or would vote, for the far-right party (the BNP in the case of the UK)?

[marty]

The BNP are a one-trick pony party so I'd never vote for them. I do however believe that current immigration laws are inadequate and that the UK's image as 'a soft touch' needs changing. Why do all the refugees make it to France, a much bigger country with a socialist government, but still risk their lives to come to Britain? Our population is too big in comparison to our size as it is. I believe that we need far more control over the type of person we let in to the UK. Sadly it seems that whenever anyone puts forward this view they're shot down as being racist. It's only sensible that we seek to attract people who will benefit us and not drain our resources.

[cj]

http://www.washtimes.com/world/20070411 ... -3098r.htm

I'd heard on the radio that Jean-Marie Le Pen is attracting the vote of French Muslims. That strikes me as faintly ironic and rather amusing. The BNP do absolutely nothing for me. Whatever 'political' message they may have seems to be buried so deep in thuggery that I mentally turn off whenever I hear their odious squawking.

[Mid A 15]

Ideologically I would rather stick pins in my eyes than vote BNP, National Front or whatever else you want to call them.

However there is presently what I regard as an undemocratic, unrepresentative, unhealthy consensus between New Labour, Blue Labour and the Lib Dims. Many people now feel completely disenfranchised and unrepresented by their Parliamentary representatives.

For these reasons it could be argued that one should vote BNP tactically because the BNP are so reviled that it would deliver a seismic, much needed shock to the political establishment if an improved BNP share of the vote ousted a few of the present parasites out of their seats.

There is a precedent for this. UKIP arguably cost the Tories 27 seats in the 2005 General Election particularly in counties like Kent where Labour struggled to hold seats with majorities of less than a thousand.

http://www.ukip.org/ukip_news/gen12.php?t=1&id=1378

UKIP though has the perception of being a bit eccentric and thus the impact via the media was not as great as it could (should) have been.

If the BNP was to achieve a similar impact though the media would be full of it and the main parties may then be forced to give greater consideration to the wishes and aspirations of those who elect them!

In terms of the poll options above I guess that makes me a maybe!

[J.R.]

As usual, a very thoughtful post, Mid A.

Vote BNP ? You might well, but I couldn't possibly comment.

[sejintenej]

We get all the political broadcasts

The one which really hit me was the one which used as part of its campaign message the French translation of the infamous concentration camp motto "Arbeit macht frei" (spelling might be wrong). That is from one of the three front-runners!

By comparison Le Pen is almost measured and statesman-like.

In general the standard of campaign messages is not high. I don't get a vote but if I did I would have great problems finding a candidate to vote for.

[englishangel]

I have never even voted Conservative but I can see MidA15's point of view.

[sejintenej]

If the BNP was to achieve a similar impact though the media would be full of it and the main parties may then be forced to give greater consideration to the wishes and aspirations of those who elect them!

You might hope that but do you honestly beleive that the winning party would take a blind bit of notice? Once they are in power and have got their huge pension funds they don't seem to care a da*n, be they of red or blue complexion. I've been trying to get some action out of my local MP (blue) but he cannot be rat-arsed to even reply.

I am just waiting for Blair / Brown to make it illegal to belong to a political party which they have not licenced to exist.

[midget]

The rule used to be that a refugee should claim asylum in the first "safe" country in which he or she landed. Why do the people at Sangatte not claim asylum in France, and why do the authorites encourage them by providing facilities there.? Could it be that they are eager to pass the problem on to us? What if anything do the Front National(e?) say about the situation?

[J.R.]

We get all the political broadcasts

The one which really hit me was the one which used as part of its campaign message the French translation of the infamous concentration camp motto "Arbeit macht frei" (spelling might be wrong). That is from one of the three front-runners!

By comparison Le Pen is almost measured and statesman-like.

In general the standard of campaign messages is not high. I don't get a vote but if I did I would have great problems finding a candidate to vote for.

Very good, David. I wouldn't expect you to be wrong after such a good education !

"Arbeit Macht Frei" (Work Brings Freedom) was the sign over the gates of Auschwitz. It was placed there by Major Rudolf Hoss, the then commandant who was eventually hanged by the Poles.