Marine Le Pen would like to succeed her father at the head of the NF. There are still a few obstacles in her path, chief among which another pretender to Jean-Marie Le Pen’s succession, Bruno Gollnisch, general delegate of the party. The latter can count on the support of traditionalist Catholics.
Marine Le Pen has sought to revamp her party and make it more acceptable. It would appear that she is trying to be a moderating influence on her father, because she is aware that his declarations, whenever they have to do with the Occupation of France or with the Jews, are damaging for the NF. On 11 October 2004 during a press conference in Lyon, Bruno Gollnisch reacted to a report by historian Henry Rousso on negationism at the University of Lyon-III. On this occasion, Gollnisch declared that “there no longer exists any serious historian who supports the conclusions of the Nuremberg trial in their entirety”. “I do not question the existence of the concentration camps but as to the number of dead, historians can debate the question. As for the existence of the gas chambers, it is up to the historians to decide,” continued the number 2 of this extreme right party. On the 18th of October, the National Front’s policy committee voted in favour of a communiqué supporting Bruno Gollnisch, with six close supporters of Marine Le Pen abstaining. Marine Le Pen, after having the same day made a declaration, that deserves to be taken seriously, condemning Gollnisch’s statements and referring to “the martyrdom of the Jewish people by the Nazis”, eventually ended up voting the communiqué.
Marine Le Pen has sought to revamp her party and make it more acceptable. It would appear that she is trying to be a moderating influence on her father, because she is aware that his declarations, whenever they have to do with the Occupation of France or with the Jews, are damaging for the NF. On 11 October 2004 during a press conference in Lyon, Bruno Gollnisch reacted to a report by historian Henry Rousso on negationism at the University of Lyon-III. On this occasion, Gollnisch declared that “there no longer exists any serious historian who supports the conclusions of the Nuremberg trial in their entirety”. “I do not question the existence of the concentration camps but as to the number of dead, historians can debate the question. As for the existence of the gas chambers, it is up to the historians to decide,” continued the number 2 of this extreme right party. On the 18th of October, the National Front’s policy committee voted in favour of a communiqué supporting Bruno Gollnisch, with six close supporters of Marine Le Pen abstaining. Marine Le Pen, after having the same day made a declaration, that deserves to be taken seriously, condemning Gollnisch’s statements and referring to “the martyrdom of the Jewish people by the Nazis”, eventually ended up voting the communiqué.
Whatever may be said about Marine Le Pen’s position – that it is a tactical position that in no way reneges the party platform of the National Front and does not yield an inch on the ideological “foundations” of the party – she is nevertheless the vice-president of the NF. This fact alone would make a visit to Israel by Marine Le Pen incomprehensible and a disgrace.
Marc Knobel
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