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| Leader of French Far Right Hopes to Fix Europe From the Inside | Leader of French Far Right Hopes to Fix Europe From the Inside |
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| BRUSSELS — Emboldened by the victory in European elections of her fiercely anti-European Union party, Marine Le Pen, the leader of France’s National Front, took her crusade on Wednesday into the lair of the “monster of Brussels” — the headquarters of the 28-nation union — to forge a far-right alliance spanning the continent. | |
| Ms. Le Pen, whose party trounced France’s established political forces in European Parliament elections that ended on Sunday, said at a news conference that she had a mission to form a bloc of like-minded groups in the Brussels legislature that would “prevent any progress” toward European unity and would restore the power of individual nation states. | Ms. Le Pen, whose party trounced France’s established political forces in European Parliament elections that ended on Sunday, said at a news conference that she had a mission to form a bloc of like-minded groups in the Brussels legislature that would “prevent any progress” toward European unity and would restore the power of individual nation states. |
| For now, however, she is falling short, betraying the fractious nature of Europe’s right-wing groups, which find even each other too toxic, even if they share a desire to push Brussels bureaucrats into a corner and farther from politics on the national stage. | For now, however, she is falling short, betraying the fractious nature of Europe’s right-wing groups, which find even each other too toxic, even if they share a desire to push Brussels bureaucrats into a corner and farther from politics on the national stage. |
| “The model of a totalitarian, technocratic Europe is now out of date,” Ms. Le Pen said Wednesday, speaking in the European Parliament alongside the leaders of populist, anti-Brussels groups from Austria, Belgium, Italy and the Netherlands. | “The model of a totalitarian, technocratic Europe is now out of date,” Ms. Le Pen said Wednesday, speaking in the European Parliament alongside the leaders of populist, anti-Brussels groups from Austria, Belgium, Italy and the Netherlands. |
| Ms. Le Pen visited Brussels just a few hours after a late-night gathering of European leaders, including the French president, François Hollande, who bemoaned the National Front’s strong electoral showing as “a trauma for France, and for Europe” that had “tarnished the image of France.” | Ms. Le Pen visited Brussels just a few hours after a late-night gathering of European leaders, including the French president, François Hollande, who bemoaned the National Front’s strong electoral showing as “a trauma for France, and for Europe” that had “tarnished the image of France.” |
| Ms. Le Pen described the previous evening’s dinner for European leaders as “an emergency crisis meeting” called in response to the strong increase in support for anti-establishment parties in the elections. (The dinner had actually been scheduled weeks before the results were announced on Sunday.) | Ms. Le Pen described the previous evening’s dinner for European leaders as “an emergency crisis meeting” called in response to the strong increase in support for anti-establishment parties in the elections. (The dinner had actually been scheduled weeks before the results were announced on Sunday.) |
| Declaring that the election would reshape Europe’s direction and put traditional elites on the run, Ms. Le Pen said the National Front and allied European parties had shown “a formidable level of unity” and displayed “the maturity of the new generation that we represent.” | Declaring that the election would reshape Europe’s direction and put traditional elites on the run, Ms. Le Pen said the National Front and allied European parties had shown “a formidable level of unity” and displayed “the maturity of the new generation that we represent.” |
| For Ms. Le Pen, the would-be standard-bearer of Europe’s far-right forces, the trip to Brussels was the latest step in a long campaign by the National Front to shed its reputation as a refuge for anti-Semites and racists and to transform itself into a respectable political force with a serious shot at governing France one day. Immediately after its success in the European elections, in which it got around a quarter of the French vote, the National Front rebranded itself “the first party of France.” | For Ms. Le Pen, the would-be standard-bearer of Europe’s far-right forces, the trip to Brussels was the latest step in a long campaign by the National Front to shed its reputation as a refuge for anti-Semites and racists and to transform itself into a respectable political force with a serious shot at governing France one day. Immediately after its success in the European elections, in which it got around a quarter of the French vote, the National Front rebranded itself “the first party of France.” |
| “Her goal is not to be re-elected to the European Parliament,” said Jean-Yves Camus, a political analyst at the Institute of International and Strategic Relations in Paris. “Her goal is the Élysée Palace, not Brussels.” | “Her goal is not to be re-elected to the European Parliament,” said Jean-Yves Camus, a political analyst at the Institute of International and Strategic Relations in Paris. “Her goal is the Élysée Palace, not Brussels.” |
| Geert Wilders, the leader of the Party for Freedom in the Netherlands and a close ally of Ms. Le Pen, called the gathering in Brussels a “historic meeting” that marked the end of Europe’s six-decade drive for economic and political integration. “We are writing history here today,” said Mr. Wilders, whose party finished third in the European election in the Netherlands, a rare example of an anti-establishment party having done worse than expected. | Geert Wilders, the leader of the Party for Freedom in the Netherlands and a close ally of Ms. Le Pen, called the gathering in Brussels a “historic meeting” that marked the end of Europe’s six-decade drive for economic and political integration. “We are writing history here today,” said Mr. Wilders, whose party finished third in the European election in the Netherlands, a rare example of an anti-establishment party having done worse than expected. |
| Harald Vilimsky, a leader of Austria’s far-right Freedom Party, hailed Ms. Le Pen as “the iconic figure of the new Europe, of bringing sovereignty back to the nation state.” | Harald Vilimsky, a leader of Austria’s far-right Freedom Party, hailed Ms. Le Pen as “the iconic figure of the new Europe, of bringing sovereignty back to the nation state.” |
| Complaining that there was a “demonization of anybody who criticizes the European project,” he said that Brussels had become “a combination of Rome, Jerusalem and Mecca. It is untouchable.” His party finished a strong third in Austria, with nearly 20 percent of the vote. | Complaining that there was a “demonization of anybody who criticizes the European project,” he said that Brussels had become “a combination of Rome, Jerusalem and Mecca. It is untouchable.” His party finished a strong third in Austria, with nearly 20 percent of the vote. |
| As Ms. Le Pen and others on the far right outlined their ambitions, hundreds of protesters gathered outside the European Parliament building in Brussels, holding placards and chanting slogans that denounced the National Front leader as a fascist menace. But they, too, cursed the Brussels bureaucracy, accusing it of having brought misery to Europe by promoting austerity as the cure for economic ills. | As Ms. Le Pen and others on the far right outlined their ambitions, hundreds of protesters gathered outside the European Parliament building in Brussels, holding placards and chanting slogans that denounced the National Front leader as a fascist menace. But they, too, cursed the Brussels bureaucracy, accusing it of having brought misery to Europe by promoting austerity as the cure for economic ills. |
| To form a formal caucus in the European Parliament, Ms. Le Pen will have to secure the support of at least 25 legislators from seven countries — two more countries than she has today. The United Kingdom Independent Party, which came in first in Britain’s European elections, drawing nearly 27 percent of the vote, has refused to collaborate with Ms. Le Pen because of what it says are her party’s racist and anti-Semitic roots. | To form a formal caucus in the European Parliament, Ms. Le Pen will have to secure the support of at least 25 legislators from seven countries — two more countries than she has today. The United Kingdom Independent Party, which came in first in Britain’s European elections, drawing nearly 27 percent of the vote, has refused to collaborate with Ms. Le Pen because of what it says are her party’s racist and anti-Semitic roots. |
| The Danish People’s Party, which trounced mainstream parties in Denmark, also “wants nothing to do with her party,” said Soren Espersen, a member of the Danish Parliament and the party’s spokesman on foreign affairs. “They have a very bad reputation.” | The Danish People’s Party, which trounced mainstream parties in Denmark, also “wants nothing to do with her party,” said Soren Espersen, a member of the Danish Parliament and the party’s spokesman on foreign affairs. “They have a very bad reputation.” |
| Ms. Le Pen said she was confident that she could muster the necessary numbers to form a formal group in the Parliament, which would unlock funding and guarantee speaking time. | Ms. Le Pen said she was confident that she could muster the necessary numbers to form a formal group in the Parliament, which would unlock funding and guarantee speaking time. |
| Nigel Farage, the leader of the United Kingdom Independence Party, rejected an alliance “for tactical reasons,” she said, because he did not want to give up the leadership of a group in the European Parliament that is now dominated by his party. | Nigel Farage, the leader of the United Kingdom Independence Party, rejected an alliance “for tactical reasons,” she said, because he did not want to give up the leadership of a group in the European Parliament that is now dominated by his party. |
| Wary of giving ammunition to her critics, Ms. Le Pen has ruled out joining forces with nationalist parties that have embraced anti-Semitism, like Jobbik in Hungary and Golden Dawn in Greece, both of which also won seats in the European Parliament. | Wary of giving ammunition to her critics, Ms. Le Pen has ruled out joining forces with nationalist parties that have embraced anti-Semitism, like Jobbik in Hungary and Golden Dawn in Greece, both of which also won seats in the European Parliament. |
| Simon Hix, a professor of European and comparative politics at the London School of Economics, said Mr. Farage would probably continue taking a separate course from Ms. Le Pen. While the French far-right leader “will manage to cobble something together,” he said, it most likely “won’t last long.” | Simon Hix, a professor of European and comparative politics at the London School of Economics, said Mr. Farage would probably continue taking a separate course from Ms. Le Pen. While the French far-right leader “will manage to cobble something together,” he said, it most likely “won’t last long.” |
| “Their attention will shift to domestic politics very quickly,” he said. | “Their attention will shift to domestic politics very quickly,” he said. |
| Ms. Le Pen has sought to broaden her support base beyond voters who share the incendiary views of her 86-year-old father, Jean-Marie Le Pen, the party’s founder. Just last week, Mr. Le Pen stirred outrage by suggesting that the recent outbreak of Ebola, a virus that has killed at least 175 in Africa, might reduce the number of would-be migrants to France. While she advocates tight controls on immigration, Marine Le Pen has tried to soften her party’s image, focusing much of her fire on bureaucrats in Brussels rather than on foreigners, particularly nonwhite ones, as her father did. | Ms. Le Pen has sought to broaden her support base beyond voters who share the incendiary views of her 86-year-old father, Jean-Marie Le Pen, the party’s founder. Just last week, Mr. Le Pen stirred outrage by suggesting that the recent outbreak of Ebola, a virus that has killed at least 175 in Africa, might reduce the number of would-be migrants to France. While she advocates tight controls on immigration, Marine Le Pen has tried to soften her party’s image, focusing much of her fire on bureaucrats in Brussels rather than on foreigners, particularly nonwhite ones, as her father did. |
| “It is still a fascist ideology, even if it is disguised under the smile and the charm of Marine Le Pen,” said Dominique Moïsi, a senior adviser at the French Institute for International Relations. Many who voted for her were disenchanted with mainstream parties, he said, “but they were not necessarily hoping she would go to the Élysée Palace.” | “It is still a fascist ideology, even if it is disguised under the smile and the charm of Marine Le Pen,” said Dominique Moïsi, a senior adviser at the French Institute for International Relations. Many who voted for her were disenchanted with mainstream parties, he said, “but they were not necessarily hoping she would go to the Élysée Palace.” |
| Nonetheless, the National Front’s showing in the elections cemented its transformation from a fringe party to a more central one, emboldening Ms. Le Pen to start plotting a course toward the presidency in 2017. | Nonetheless, the National Front’s showing in the elections cemented its transformation from a fringe party to a more central one, emboldening Ms. Le Pen to start plotting a course toward the presidency in 2017. |
| With the Socialist Party of Mr. Hollande and the scandal-plagued Union for a Popular Movement, the party of former President Nicolas Sarkozy, both in disarray, the National Front is in a position to become a third major player on France’s political landscape. Ultimately, Ms. Le Pen’s ability to advance further on the national scene will depend on whether the mainstream parties can rebuild themselves and regain the confidence of French voters. | With the Socialist Party of Mr. Hollande and the scandal-plagued Union for a Popular Movement, the party of former President Nicolas Sarkozy, both in disarray, the National Front is in a position to become a third major player on France’s political landscape. Ultimately, Ms. Le Pen’s ability to advance further on the national scene will depend on whether the mainstream parties can rebuild themselves and regain the confidence of French voters. |
| “If the mainstream parties react with enough courage and lucidity, and find the right way to speak to the citizens, then Marine Le Pen’s high point will have been May 2014,” Mr. Moïsi said. “But if they fail to understand the gravity of the message sent to them by the electorate, you can’t exclude that Marine Le Pen could be the president of France.” | “If the mainstream parties react with enough courage and lucidity, and find the right way to speak to the citizens, then Marine Le Pen’s high point will have been May 2014,” Mr. Moïsi said. “But if they fail to understand the gravity of the message sent to them by the electorate, you can’t exclude that Marine Le Pen could be the president of France.” |