Brexit, Trump – Le Pen Next?
French Identity, Muslim Population Dominate Election by William Horobin, Wall Street Journal
The race to become the next president of France is becoming a referendum on what it means to be French.
As voters prepare to head to the polls Sunday for the Républicains’ primary—which could ultimately determine the next president—the rhetoric at rallies and debates has increasingly focused on whether France’s secular values are compatible with its Muslim population—one of Europe’s biggest.
The election of Donald Trump has emboldened far-right presidential contender Marine Le Pen, who is campaigning against France’s socialists and conservatives on an anti-immigrant, antitrade platform similar to the U.S. president-elect’s. That message has helped keep her near the top of the polls after two years of blistering terror attacks carried out by foreign and French citizens, as well as a huge wave of migrants from the Middle East.
The cascade of events has left France’s political establishment at a crossroads: Reject Ms. Le Pen’s rhetoric or co-opt it…
