"There is a perception in France that after 2017, the National Front would have a real chance to win the elections if a right-wing president fails to perform strongly in office. French parties, that lost a clear division on classical left and right, should redefine themselves in respect to those who want the federal European Union and those who care for an idea of a nation and a state, as common people who vote for Le Pen’s party are afraid of a complete distraction of the French sovereignty," Nicolas Dhuicq said.
According to the lawmaker, the European issue is likely to become one of the most divisive in the French policy, takingh into consideration the fact that Le Pen continues to capitalize on campaigning to leave the Eurozone as part of her presidency bid.
During the Republicans' primary debates, former French President Nicolas Sarkozy, former Prime Minister Francois Fillon, and leader of the Christian Democratic Party Frederic Poisson on multiple occasions have criticized Brussels’s governance that tries to deprive France of its sovereignty.
Sarkozy has said that as a president, he would call a referendum on the European project and proposed that certain competences, particularly those concerning the transatlantic trade negotiations, should be managed by the member states instead of the European Commission.
The only candidate from France’s right-wing political spectrum who promised to safeguard the EU project in his policies is former French Prime Minister Alain Juppe, Sarkozy’s main rival in the race to win The Republicans party’s nomination in November primaries.
The next French presidential elections will be held in April and May, 2017. A poll, conducted by Ifop on October 26, confirms that Le Pen is expected to advance to the second round of presidential elections, securing from 26 percent to 30 percent in the first round. The only candidate who can do better in the first round is Juppe, who could secure around 35 percent of the vote.
