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| A French Politician Who Has Helped Refine the National Front Party | A French Politician Who Has Helped Refine the National Front Party |
| (about 4 hours later) | |
| ST.-MACAIRE-EN-MAUGES, | |
| France | |
| FLORIAN PHILIPPOT was about to take the stage in this small western village in the hope of lifting the fortunes of the local candidates of the far-right National Front party. | |
| But he was not using a last moment of quiet to collect his thoughts. Instead, he was testing his latest turn of phrase on a handful of local journalists who had come to interview him. France’s beleaguered president, François Hollande, had recently said that he wanted to “yank” voters away from Mr. Philippot’s party. | But he was not using a last moment of quiet to collect his thoughts. Instead, he was testing his latest turn of phrase on a handful of local journalists who had come to interview him. France’s beleaguered president, François Hollande, had recently said that he wanted to “yank” voters away from Mr. Philippot’s party. |
| “As if our supporters were weeds,” he said with a huff. “Maybe he would do better to think more about how to yank voters off the unemployment rolls.” | |
| The line is an example of why some in France have called Mr. Philippot, who at 33 is the National Front’s vice president in charge of communications and strategy, the “argument machine.” Experts give Mr. Philippot credit for much of the party’s success so far, saying he has been critical in its efforts to present a respectable face — and one that is ready to govern. | The line is an example of why some in France have called Mr. Philippot, who at 33 is the National Front’s vice president in charge of communications and strategy, the “argument machine.” Experts give Mr. Philippot credit for much of the party’s success so far, saying he has been critical in its efforts to present a respectable face — and one that is ready to govern. |
| He told the crowd here that he had come to support the local candidates in Sunday’s departmental elections (a layer of government between county and regional) because it is a corner of “forgotten France,” but a corner that the National Front still cares about. That line, too, won him applause. | He told the crowd here that he had come to support the local candidates in Sunday’s departmental elections (a layer of government between county and regional) because it is a corner of “forgotten France,” but a corner that the National Front still cares about. That line, too, won him applause. |
| RIGHT-LEANING parties — the mainstream conservative Union for a Popular Movement party, or UMP, as well as the National Front — are expected to do well. But analysts doubt it will be a breakthrough election for them, though the UMP may face runoffs with the National Front in a number of second-round elections. | |
| The last time that happened was in the 2002 presidential election when Jacques Chirac, the center-right candidate, faced Jean-Marie Le Pen, the father of Marine Le Pen, who has succeeded him as the National Front leader. Mr. Chirac won by a landslide, with 82 percent of the vote. | The last time that happened was in the 2002 presidential election when Jacques Chirac, the center-right candidate, faced Jean-Marie Le Pen, the father of Marine Le Pen, who has succeeded him as the National Front leader. Mr. Chirac won by a landslide, with 82 percent of the vote. |
| These days, the French actually hear more from Mr. Philippot, who is a constant presence on television talk shows, than they do from Ms. Le Pen. | These days, the French actually hear more from Mr. Philippot, who is a constant presence on television talk shows, than they do from Ms. Le Pen. |
| It is not hard to see why he is such a popular guest. He is a graduate of one of France’s elite business schools as well as its École Nationale d’Administration, known as ENA, which has trained most French politicians, including Mr. Hollande, and he appears indestructible on television. | It is not hard to see why he is such a popular guest. He is a graduate of one of France’s elite business schools as well as its École Nationale d’Administration, known as ENA, which has trained most French politicians, including Mr. Hollande, and he appears indestructible on television. |
| Like the front-row student who always has his hand up, he sits, neatly groomed, on the edge of his chair, happily jousting with panels of gray-haired experts who mean to portray his party as dangerously extreme. But more often than not they are flummoxed by Mr. Philippot’s intellectual agility. | Like the front-row student who always has his hand up, he sits, neatly groomed, on the edge of his chair, happily jousting with panels of gray-haired experts who mean to portray his party as dangerously extreme. But more often than not they are flummoxed by Mr. Philippot’s intellectual agility. |
| RECENTLY, he was mocking the French economy minister’s latest reforms, which are largely a collection of small-bore items such as letting more stores stay open on Sundays and developing more bus routes between towns. Mr. Philippot scoffed at the notion that new bus routes might be called progress. | |
| “What’s next?” said Mr. Philippot, rolling his eyes. “Rickshaws?” | “What’s next?” said Mr. Philippot, rolling his eyes. “Rickshaws?” |
| When the National Front was led by Mr. Le Pen, it was seen as a marginal party of racist and anti-Semitic old men. He made his ideas heard during presidential election years, but never did the groundwork to build a functioning party. | When the National Front was led by Mr. Le Pen, it was seen as a marginal party of racist and anti-Semitic old men. He made his ideas heard during presidential election years, but never did the groundwork to build a functioning party. |
| In contrast, his daughter, with Mr. Philippot’s help, is developing a political machine with a broad base. The National Front won the mayoralty in some 10 city halls last year, as well as city councilors in hundreds of other municipalities. Now with the departmental elections, the party is fielding more than 7,000 candidates, and Mr. Philippot is using the accomplishments of the new mayors, many of whom are in their 20s and 30s, to argue that the party has already proved it is capable of governing, and in many cases cutting taxes. | In contrast, his daughter, with Mr. Philippot’s help, is developing a political machine with a broad base. The National Front won the mayoralty in some 10 city halls last year, as well as city councilors in hundreds of other municipalities. Now with the departmental elections, the party is fielding more than 7,000 candidates, and Mr. Philippot is using the accomplishments of the new mayors, many of whom are in their 20s and 30s, to argue that the party has already proved it is capable of governing, and in many cases cutting taxes. |
| Mr. Philippot said he has only expanded on Ms. Le Pen’s ideas, helping her develop party policy on a broad range of issues, including education and economics. Her father, he said, spent far too much time on his trademark anti-immigrant discourse. | Mr. Philippot said he has only expanded on Ms. Le Pen’s ideas, helping her develop party policy on a broad range of issues, including education and economics. Her father, he said, spent far too much time on his trademark anti-immigrant discourse. |
| “He only talked about immigration,” Mr. Philippot said. “A political party should be able to speak on all subjects.” | “He only talked about immigration,” Mr. Philippot said. “A political party should be able to speak on all subjects.” |
| He describes his first meeting with Ms. Le Pen in 2009 as a kind of political love at first sight. A friend had arranged a dinner party, knowing that Mr. Philippot was intrigued. By the end of the night, Ms. Le Pen has said, they were finishing each other’s sentences. | He describes his first meeting with Ms. Le Pen in 2009 as a kind of political love at first sight. A friend had arranged a dinner party, knowing that Mr. Philippot was intrigued. By the end of the night, Ms. Le Pen has said, they were finishing each other’s sentences. |
| “From the beginning we connected both on a human and a political level,” Mr. Philippot said, adding, “I was attracted to her energy, her dynamism, her courage.” And, he said, the National Front was a party that would allow young people a place at the table. | “From the beginning we connected both on a human and a political level,” Mr. Philippot said, adding, “I was attracted to her energy, her dynamism, her courage.” And, he said, the National Front was a party that would allow young people a place at the table. |
| IN public, Mr. Philippot is rousing. His message is that France needs to stop being ashamed of its history. It needs to renegotiate its treaty with the European Union, and restore its currency and its borders. Schools need to spend more time teaching the French language. On the economy, protectionism is the way to go. | |
| The audience applauded often, and happily stood with him at the end to sing the national anthem. | The audience applauded often, and happily stood with him at the end to sing the national anthem. |
| Mr. Philippot has less charisma in one-on-one situations. He smiles little and looks awkward when he has to shake hands with people after his speech. While he campaigned to be mayor of a small town last year, aides reportedly had to continually remind him to greet people on the street and make small talk. | Mr. Philippot has less charisma in one-on-one situations. He smiles little and looks awkward when he has to shake hands with people after his speech. While he campaigned to be mayor of a small town last year, aides reportedly had to continually remind him to greet people on the street and make small talk. |
| He fell short in that contest but won a seat on the City Council, and went on to win a seat in the European Parliament a few months later. He makes no secret of his ambitions. He expects a ministerial position if Ms. Le Pen wins the presidency. “Which job is up to her,” he said. “But I want an active role in the executive, yes.” | He fell short in that contest but won a seat on the City Council, and went on to win a seat in the European Parliament a few months later. He makes no secret of his ambitions. He expects a ministerial position if Ms. Le Pen wins the presidency. “Which job is up to her,” he said. “But I want an active role in the executive, yes.” |
| Mr. Philippot’s rise in the party has been meteoric. He officially joined the National Front in 2010, and was named to his post in the wake of the party’s 2012 results, when it took nearly 18 percent of the vote in the first round, more than ever before. He had campaigned only once before, as a university student in 2002 for a candidate who garnered only 5 percent of the vote. | Mr. Philippot’s rise in the party has been meteoric. He officially joined the National Front in 2010, and was named to his post in the wake of the party’s 2012 results, when it took nearly 18 percent of the vote in the first round, more than ever before. He had campaigned only once before, as a university student in 2002 for a candidate who garnered only 5 percent of the vote. |
| Mr. Philippot was born in the north of France near Lille, where deindustrialization has fed pockets of strong support for the National Front. His father is the principal of a public school, and he shrugs when asked if his father agrees with his politics, saying that the family gets along well. His grandmother, he said, who lives in a small village, clips articles about him. | Mr. Philippot was born in the north of France near Lille, where deindustrialization has fed pockets of strong support for the National Front. His father is the principal of a public school, and he shrugs when asked if his father agrees with his politics, saying that the family gets along well. His grandmother, he said, who lives in a small village, clips articles about him. |
| He has repeatedly refused to discuss his private life. But in December, the gossip magazine Closer, which last year published photos of Mr. Hollande sneaking out of the Élysée Palace on a scooter to meet an actress, published photographs of Mr. Philippot on vacation with a boyfriend. | He has repeatedly refused to discuss his private life. But in December, the gossip magazine Closer, which last year published photos of Mr. Hollande sneaking out of the Élysée Palace on a scooter to meet an actress, published photographs of Mr. Philippot on vacation with a boyfriend. |
| SOME experts say the disclosure may not sit well with the National Front’s conservative supporters, but Mr. Philippot seems unperturbed. “It doesn’t matter at all,” he said. “It’s just that we should be entitled to private lives, and the idea that someone was following me for three days is just horrible.” | |
| Mr. Philippot said his political idol is Charles de Gaulle, who led Free France during World War II and later twice served as president. He is the last real president the country has had, Mr. Philippot said. Last November, he led a group of 100 young National Front supporters to lay a wreath at de Gaulle’s grave. | Mr. Philippot said his political idol is Charles de Gaulle, who led Free France during World War II and later twice served as president. He is the last real president the country has had, Mr. Philippot said. Last November, he led a group of 100 young National Front supporters to lay a wreath at de Gaulle’s grave. |
| Mr. Philippot said he was always interested in politics, but was not a fan of the National Front before Marine Le Pen came along, and he would not have joined the party with Mr. Le Pen at the helm. | Mr. Philippot said he was always interested in politics, but was not a fan of the National Front before Marine Le Pen came along, and he would not have joined the party with Mr. Le Pen at the helm. |
| Mr. Le Pen, 86, who founded the National Front, has a habit of causing controversy even now. Just recently he made headlines when, in an interview with a Russian newspaper, he suggested that the Charlie Hebdo massacre may have been the work of an “intelligence agency” working with the connivance of the French authorities. | Mr. Le Pen, 86, who founded the National Front, has a habit of causing controversy even now. Just recently he made headlines when, in an interview with a Russian newspaper, he suggested that the Charlie Hebdo massacre may have been the work of an “intelligence agency” working with the connivance of the French authorities. |
| Mr. Philippot stepped up to deflect the uproar, suggesting that Mr. Le Pen had perhaps had “a little vodka” before he made his statement. Mr. Le Pen later said his statements had been mistranslated. | Mr. Philippot stepped up to deflect the uproar, suggesting that Mr. Le Pen had perhaps had “a little vodka” before he made his statement. Mr. Le Pen later said his statements had been mistranslated. |