Marine Le Pen is president of the Front National (FN) political party since 16 January 2011. She ran for President of France in 2012, garnering 17.90% of electorate[1] placing her third in the balloting that was conducted on April 22, 2012.
Marine Le Pen — Élysée 2012 | |
---|---|
Campaign | 2012 French presidential election |
Candidate | Marine Le Pen |
Affiliation | Front National |
Key people | Florian Philippot (Strategic director) Louis Aliot (Operational director) Gilbert Collard (Support committee) |
Slogan | The voice of people, the spirit of France |
Website | |
2012 presidential campaign's website |
During the 2010 internal campaign for the FN leadership, Marine Le Pen explained why the leadership of the party and the candidature for the presidential election must not be dissociated: thus the next FN leader will run in the 2012 presidential election.[2]
On 16 May 2011, her presidential candidacy was unanimously validated by the FN Executive Committee.[3]
On 10 and 11 September 2011, she made her political comeback with the title "the voice of people, the spirit of France" in the convention center of Acropolis in Nice.[4] Her political comeback, which was concluded by a closing speech of seventy minutes, prefigured the launching of her presidential campaign.[5]
During a press conference held in Nanterre on 6 October 2011, she officially unveiled the line-up of her presidential campaign team.[6]
The main topics of her presidential campaign are: economy and social, immigration and security, reindustrialisation and "strong state," fight against corruption and public morality, education and culture, family and health, international politics.[7] Marine Le Pen and her advisers regularly hold thematic press conferences[8] and interventions[9] on varied topical issues.
On 19 November 2011, she espoused the main thematic issues of her presidential project: sovereign people and democracy, Europe, reindustrialization and strong state, family and education, immigration and assimilation versus communitarianism, geopolitics and international politics.[10] During a press conference held on 12 January 2012,[11] she presented in detail the assessment of her presidential project[12] and a plan of debt paydown of France.[13]
During a press conference held on 1 February 2012, she presented an outline of her presidential project for the overseas departments and territories of France.[14]
On 17 September 2011, 1,200 people from Western France have taken part in her first meeting held in a castle in Vaiges, Mayenne.[15][16]
On 21 September 2011, she visited during two hours the Rungis International Market, where she met workers and professionals disillusioned with Nicolas Sarkozy's politics.[17][18][19][20] On that very day, she met farmers in Fosses, Val-d'Oise and held a press conference about agricultural issues.[21]
On 17 October 2011, she held a press conference in front of the Dexia headquarters in La Défense.[22] On 19 October 2011, she visited in Paris the 2011 Milipol, a security technology sales exhibition.[23]
On 5 January 2012, she presented her wishes to the press.[24]
On 11 December 2011, she held her first presidential meeting in Metz, Moselle, Lorraine.[25][26] From early January 2012, she held weekly meetings in major French cities: Saint-Denis,[27] Rouen[28] Bordeaux,[29] Perpignan,[30] Toulouse.[31]
In October 2011, Marine Le Pen visited Italy for three days.[32] On 20 October 2011, she had dinner in Verona with forty local contractors including Daniela Santanchè, undersecretary in charge of the implementation of the programme in the Berlusconi IV Cabinet.[33][34] On 21 October 2011, she met in Verona municipal representatives members of The Right.[33] Later on that very day, she discussed at the Milan Stock Exchange topical issues (Arab Spring, immigration, European Union) with Daniela Santanchè.[34][35][36][37] On 22 October 2011, she signed in Rome the Italian translation of her autobiography À contre flots for the assistance gathered in the Ferrajoli palace.[38][39][40]
A lawyer, Gilbert Collard rallied to her presidential candidacy and accepted the presidency of her support committee.[41][42]
During the convention in Nice on 10 September 2011, she has received the support of Paul-Marie Coûteaux, a former souverainiste MEP.[43] A former general director of the Renseignements Généraux, Yves Bertrand wrote an expression of sympathy in a French magazine.[44] Although Bertrand said that "Marine Le Pen is respectable, republican and friendly", he will not join her support committee.[45] Other personalities could further support her candidacy and join her presidential committee.[45] Le Pen also received support from actress Brigitte Bardot.[46]
On 2 February 2012, Marine Le Pen's support committee was officially presented during a press conference in Paris.[47]