Le Pen May Gain as Magazine Attack Strains French Divide

[Purveyor]

France’s Front National leader Marine Le Pen pinned the blame for the killing of 12 people in Paris yesterday on Islamic radicals, as mainstream leaders tried to downplay the religious dimension of the attack.

While President Francois Hollande called for national unity in an attempt to deter the public from demonizing the country’s 5-million strong Muslim community, Le Pen said France has to confront the beliefs of the gunmen who stormed the offices of satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo.

“Time’s up for denial and hypocrisy,” Le Pen, who has railed against immigration, said in a video posted on her party’s website. “The absolute rejection of Islamic fundamentalism must be proclaimed loudly and clearly.”

The lessons voters draw from the deadliest attack on French soil since World War II will shape the political debate as the country looks toward the 2017 election. Hollande, the most unpopular president in modern history, is struggling to make up ground on Le Pen, who’s seen her support surge as she blames immigrants for France’s near-record unemployment and deepening inequalities.

more...

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2015-01-07/le-pen-may-benefit-as-magazine-attack-exposes-french-divisions.html

[uppityperson]

1. who profits? the extremists do. Time to not give in but be the one to say no, it is enough

Your people hurt my people hurt your people hurt my people....

Enough. Time to stop.

No more Le Pen. No more killing each other because they hurt you. Just. Stop.

[Purveyor]

2. You haven't seen anything yet. Wait until the full brunt of the EU recession

takes hold.

Scapegoats will be found and nationalistic fervor will unseat goverments.

[uppityperson]

3. yup and huge sigh.

I wonder if, or when, humans will evolve emotionally and societally as they have technologically. My problem is I continue to think we have when overall we haven't.

[pampango]

4. "nationalistic fervor" in Europe. Doesn't that bring back pleasant memories?

The far-right everywhere, particularly in Europe, is very fond of "nationalist fervor".

Their anti-immigrant, anti-Muslim policies, along with the European recession, will create more hardship. You are right. Scapegoats will be found. They will largely be immigrants and particularly Muslim immigrants. And all of this hardship and far-right policies will provide more ammunition for potential for the wackos on the far-right - both the Islamist far-right or the white European far-right.

There is a real danger of another Anders Behring mass shooting in protest of Muslim immigrants as happened in Norway in 2011.