Europe's 'political earthquake': Far right win in France shakes established parties
| Paris
France鈥檚 far right, anti-immigration National Front party nabbed a historic win last night in the European elections, with hopes now set on dissolving the National Assembly and creating an alliance with Eurosceptics. France's ruling Socialist Party is calling it a 鈥減olitical earthquake.鈥�
Shortly after exit poll results were announced, National Front (FN) party leader Marine Le Pen was already claiming victory. With preliminary estimates giving the FN a steady lead of 25 percent over the center-right UMP鈥檚 20.6 percent and the Socialist Party鈥檚 14.2 percent, Ms. Le Pen said the French people had spoken loud and clear.
鈥淸Our people] want politics by the French, for the French, and with the French. They don鈥檛 want to be led anymore from outside, to submit to laws,鈥� Le Pen said from her party鈥檚 headquarters in Paris鈥檚 western suburb of Nanterre.
鈥淲e must build another Europe, a free Europe of sovereign nations and one in which cooperation is freely decided. Tonight is a massive rejection of the European Union,鈥� she said, calling on President Fran莽ois Hollande to dissolve the National Assembly.
鈥淲hat else can the president do after such a rejection?鈥� she said.
The National Front鈥檚 win has caused a hailstorm of commentary and shock from opposing parties. While opinion polls from earlier this month showed the FN taking the lead in the European Elections, some observers were surprised to see it actually happen.
France鈥檚 Prime Minister Manuel Valls called the election results 鈥渁 grave moment for France.
鈥淭he rejection of others is not the French way, and it鈥檚 not the image we want of France,鈥� Mr. Valls said, in reference to the FN鈥檚 anti-immigration stance.
The FN registered its best results in any national election 鈥� topping those from the 2002 presidential election, when Le Pen鈥檚 father and former party leader Jean-Marie famously made it into the second round with nearly 18 percent of the vote.
The election results have the potential to offer the FN a significant voice in the European Parliament, giving them between 21 and 24 of France鈥檚 74 seats 鈥� a sizeable increase from the three they won in 2009. Meanwhile, the UMP is expected to gain between 18 and 21 seats, with the Socialists getting 13 to 15.
The blame game
Despite Valls鈥檚 numerous trips to neighboring countries 鈥� including Germany and Spain 鈥� in a bid to show France鈥檚 commitment to Europe, his Socialist Party registered its worst results in the history of the elections. Their 2009 results of 16 percent were already considered a 鈥渃atastrophe.鈥� Some observers wonder if the estimated 57 percent abstention rate could have contributed to the Socialist Party鈥檚 poor score.聽
Meanwhile, UMP party leader Jean-Francois Cop茅 received the brunt of the blame for his party鈥檚 Sunday loss. Bordeaux鈥檚 UMP mayor Alain Jupp茅 called for a 鈥渕ore collective鈥� leadership and Mr. Cop茅鈥檚 rival, former Prime Minister Francois Fillon, said the party must now look inward for answers. Cop茅 said the results were evidence of 鈥渟trong exasperation鈥� by the French people, blaming the results on President Hollande鈥檚 leadership.
While France鈥檚 two major parties try to pinpoint what went wrong, the FN will now look to create a pan-European alliance with fellow far-right parties. Le Pen has initial approval from the Austrian Freedom Party and the Dutch Freedom Party, but will need to convince parliamentarians from at least six other countries to create the group.
