France elections: Le Pen 'steps aside' as party leader

[Adolecent]

France elections: Le Pen 'steps aside' as party leader

That didn't take long. Like a real populist she backed off. I'm sure in the upcoming days/weeks we get news that she asked for political asylum in Russia to avoid prosecution for high treason or something horrible like that.



Developing Story

[Kujako]

Why is Putin shaking hands with that Hillary Clinton drag queen?

[Dartz1979]

she looks like hillary clinton a bit lol

[Revi]

Steps aside as party leader, but she is still running for president.

[Adolecent]

Why is Putin shaking hands with that Hillary Clinton drag queen?

Le Pen visited him a few weeks ago. Her party Front National was openly financed by the Russians too.

[Aggrophobic]

Why is Putin shaking hands with that Hillary Clinton drag queen?

Becuase he pays here to run for president.

[zoefschildpad]

She's not going anywhere, she just wants to run for president without conflicts. It's mostly political in an attempt to get supporters of other parties to vote for her in the second round.

[Draco-Onis]

She's not going anywhere, she just wants to run for president without conflicts. It's mostly political in an attempt to get supporters of other parties to vote for her in the second round.

Agreed she is going to backpedal on everything now to try to look "moderate" and gain votes, Lepen is no different than her father she just has a slicker sales pitch.

[Edge-]

Populists are well known for their courage and tendency to stand by their beliefs and convictions in the face of adversity or challenge.

Well known.

[Deleted]

She honestly think that the French are really that dumb? Everyone knows that she is the FN party.

[GennGreymane]

I will say the OP is a tad bias by putting in Putin, but that is not my battle. (just preparing ya OP)

It just seems odd that she would step aside while running

[araine]

she already knows she will lose badly in the election in 2 weeks so she is stepping down already

[Draco-Onis]

She honestly think that the French are really that dumb? Everyone knows that she is the FN party.

You should never underestimate human stupidity.

[Independent voter]

Does she think stepping aside will improve her chances to win? How?

[Edge-]

It just seems odd that she would step aside while running

Not at all. She'd trying to distance herself from her rabid, far-right base now that she's in the US equivalent of the general election, so she needs to pivot towards a more centrist position if she's to hope to pick up votes and narrow the gap between her and Macron.

[GennGreymane]

Not at all. She'd trying to distance herself from her rabid, far-right base now that she's in the US equivalent of the general election, so she needs to pivot towards a more centrist position if she's to hope to pick up votes and narrow the gap between her and Macron.

Still seems odd. I am just not used to how it works in Europe.

[Flatspriest]

Is that Marine LePen, or Donaldette Trump shaking hands with Putin?

[Deleted]

Still seems odd. I am just not used to how it works in Europe.

It doesn't work, as far I can remember, it's the first time it happened during an election.

And this case is worse, Le Pen is the party and the party is Le Pen. Heck, she kicked her father from the party.

[Austilias]

Not at all. She'd trying to distance herself from her rabid, far-right base now that she's in the US equivalent of the general election, so she needs to pivot towards a more centrist position if she's to hope to pick up votes and narrow the gap between her and Macron.

Considering Macron is essentially the French Hillary Clinton - that is to say, an unprincipled globalist being bankrolled by all the wrong people, I doubt she'll be losing too much sleep over him.

[Edge-]

Still seems odd. I am just not used to how it works in Europe.

It's a bit unorthodox, for sure, but it's no different than we see in US politics between primary and general elections. Candidates play to their bases during the primary, then pivot to more centrist policies (usually) during the general election. This is a more extreme step in that type of behavior, and I guess we'll see if/how her rhetoric changes in these weeks, but it very much falls in line with it.