Welcome to Hard talk I'm step scker voters around the world are expressing their disgust with Politics as Usual think Trump think brexit and think about my guest today here at the European Parliament in Strasburg Marine Leen the leader of the far right National front party in France she is going to be a key player in next 's French presidential election could she send shock waves around the world and actually win the French [Music] presidency Marine Leen Welcome to Hard talk Mercy let me ask you very broad question do you see yourself and your political movement
as part of a worldwide phenomenon I'm thinking of Donald Trump in the United States I'm thinking of the vote for brexit in the United Kingdom do you think something is happening which the FR naal your party is a part of for [Music] well let's focus in on the impact of the brexit vote in the UK you described it as the most important event since the fall of the Berlin Wall do do you really believe that France wants fit in the way that the British people voted for brexit br your problem is that all of the
polling evidence since the brexit vote is that the French people do not actually want to leave the European Union in fact more French people today say that they want to remain inside than before the British vote so you're actually not expressing the will of the French people forgive me for interrupting but why would the French people look across the channel at Britain and want to follow Britain when we see that the British pound is now at historic lows against International currencies we see huge uncertainty which is provoked by businesses in Japan and across the world
saying that they are now very concerned about staying in Britain and might well leave why why would the French want to follow that model [Music] supp yeah and let us let us let us not forget that Brit Britain hasn't actually left the European Union yet and all of the indications are that the next two years are going to be extraordinarily difficult for the UK government okay let let's let's examine another key plank of your platform going into the 2017 election season not only are you telling the French people that you want to pull out of
the European Union you're also telling them that you want to Halt immigration into France the truth is you have consistently exaggerated the scale and the impact of immigration into France you call it a tsunami but it is not a tsunami compare France and Germany for example last year France hang on France took uh what was it about 70,000 Asylum seeking immigrants Germany took hang on Germany took half a million 70,000 people seeking asylum in France that's not being submerged for for you say you say people come with no rights of course that's not true if
people are fleeing persecution and War they do have rights under international law and two years ago you said send them all back home even to countries at War but you know that that is a clear violation of the Geneva conventions of international law is that your message to the French people that you're prepared to violate international law no for Mo most politicians say they want to unite their countries you appear to want to divide yours with the language you use and not just you but your party I mean right now there are FR naal councils
who are declaring themselves immigrant free zones you not so long ago talked about Muslims being seen praying in the streets as equivalent to the feelings French people had during the Nazi occupation the language you use is the language of division is that what France wants I talked about exaggeration see seems to me even in this interview you are exaggerating again and when you talk about security you clearly you clearly imply you clearly imply that the migrants who are coming to France are bringing with them Terror bringing them the ideology of the Islamic State but the
truth is look at France's recent Terror attacks and God knows they have been terrible but the terror attacks in the main have been the work of French citizens men born in France or in neighboring Belgium these are the people so unless you're suggesting that they all be thrown out of the country I don't quite see the connection with security some of your own supporters feel that your messages have become mixed in recent months for example you told a French TV channel recently that quote Islam is compatible with the values of the French Republic so if
that is true some of the rhetoric that you have used in the past seems to be now something you have abandoned so which Marine Leen is it today is it the moderate Marine Leen who says that Islam is compatible with the French Republic or the Marine Leen who talks about muslims praying in the streets being like the Nazi occupation if I may Madame Leen let me test you then let me quote you the words of your own niece uh Maran who of course is now an MP here in France she said we are not a
land of Islam and if French citizens can be Muslims it is only on the condition to submit to the habits and ways of life that the Greek Roman influence and 16th centuries of Christianity have shaped in our country do you agree with that IND I understand the I think I hope I understand the values of the Republic and one of the three key values of the Republic is Liberty now where is the Liberty in you telling Muslim women that they cannot go onto the beach covered in a way that they would like to be covered
where where is the Liberty in that unifor women Muslim women just like Christian women have a right to choose what they wear on the beach surely I mean when you say the French beaches are those of brigit BAU that sounds absurd to many people I mean why can't women decide whether they want to look like brigit BAU or look like somebody else what what I find really interesting about your politics right now is that while you try to reach out with your message to the French people as a whole of course in the runup to
the presidential election many people in your own party are beginning to worry that you are abandoning some of the principles of the FR National for example in your posters you no longer use the name of the party you no longer use the symbol of the flame and your own father the founder of the front National Jean Marie Leen he's been on my program and he has worried very publicly that you are to use his phrase committing political suicide by leaving the traditions of the FR naal how do you respond to that for but you have
did you not accept you have a problem as you try to reach out to more of the if you can put it this way the the the center right ground in French Politics the danger is that some of those in the mainstream center right like Nicolas sakoi for example they try to steal your clothes sakoi according to your own father is now taking some of your voters by being stronger on security strong longer on his message about Islam than you are you say you're a woman of great principle where is the principle in taking huge
amounts of money from a Russian Bank to finance your political campaigns you took of course uh millions of Euros from the Czech Russian bank which has since gone bankrupt and now your own Financial bosses in the party say that you need 8 million EUR to fund your presidential election campaign are you going to go to Russia again and try and get Russian money the only the only problem with taking Russian money is that you then have to say things like I have an admiration for Vladimir Putin you have to say things like yes if I'm
in power I will recognize the annexation of Crimea you talk like a woman of principle but where is the principle in that for was a person before we end I have to ask you about the political process in France because you in the fa in the end still face what they call here the glass ceiling your poll ratings are pretty good right now and it seems that you stand a very good chance of getting we yes you but the truth is even if you get into the second round of the presidential election nobody in France
believes you can win because the mainstream parties the the Republicans the Socialists will ensure that you are defeated in the second round how can you smash this glass ceiling Don [Music] Marine Leen we have to end there but thank you very much for being on mer [Music] you [Music]
