France Report

The French far-right's election dilemma: a family split between Le Pen and Zemmour

For three generations Melinda and Dylan's family from northern France has voted steadfastly for the far-right Le Pen family at elections; first Jean-Marie Le Pen, who founded the Front National, and more recently his daughter Marine Le Pen who is president of its successor party Rassemblement National. However, the decision on who to vote for has now been thrown into question by the presence of another far-right candidate in April's French presidential election, the polemicist Éric Zemmour. The dilemma, one faced by many voters across the country, threatens to divide the family. Lucie Delaporte reports.

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In 'Melinda's' family – it is not her real name – they have voted for the far-right Le Pen family for three generations. The first to do so was her grandfather Pierre, a farmer near Hirson in the impoverished north-east of the Picardy region in northern France. Having long voted socialist, he switched allegiance to Jean-Marie Le Pen's Front National in 1988.

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#FREEMORTAZA

Since January 7, 2023 our colleague and friend Mortaza Behboudi has been imprisoned in Afghanistan, in the Taliban prisons.

We do not forget him and call for his release.

Learn more about #FREEMORTAZA