- Marine Le Pen, France’s far-right leader, advocates for a Trump-style immigration stance, pressuring countries reluctant to accept deportees.
- Le Pen suggests France should adopt Trump’s tactics with Colombia, threatening tariffs and sanctions if they refuse deportees.
- Le Pen criticizes France’s ‘weakness’ and praises Trump’s assertiveness, stating she would halt money transfers and suspend visas for non-cooperative countries.
- Le Pen’s political future is uncertain as judges will decide on March 31 whether she should be barred from public office for alleged corruption.
Marine Le Pen, the leader of France’s far-right, has recently advocated for a stringent approach towards countries that are reluctant to accept deportees. Drawing inspiration from the hardline stance of former U.S. President Donald Trump, Le Pen has suggested that France should emulate Trump’s pressure tactics on Colombia in its dealings with Algeria. Le Pen, who is predicted to emerge victorious in the 2027 French presidential elections if permitted to run, has highlighted how Trump’s stringent immigration policies could potentially shape European policy.
Despite Trump’s unpopularity in Europe, the continent has been gradually leaning towards the right due to years of immigration, making his once unthinkable views more palatable to a larger voter base. This shift in political ideology is not confined to France alone. Germany, for instance, witnessed its opposition conservatives secure parliamentary approval for a non-binding proposal to severely limit migration.
Europe’s Rightward Shift
This proposal, backed by votes from the Alternative for Germany (AfD), broke the long-standing taboo of collaborating with the far-right. France, too, has seen a rightward shift in its political landscape. Conservative Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau, who has prioritized immigration and drug violence, has been grappling with persuading Algeria and Morocco to accept more deportees from France.
In a televised interview, Le Pen advocated for a more assertive approach towards Algeria, a former French colony. She suggested adopting Trump’s strategy with Colombia, where he threatened to impose crippling tariffs and sanctions if the country refused to accept deportees. This pressure tactic led to a deal being struck to avert a trade war.
Le Pen’s Hardline Stance
Le Pen stated, I would do exactly what Donald Trump did with Colombia, and went on to add that she would halt all money transfers to Algeria and suspend visas for Algerians and their political leaders if they refused to cooperate. Le Pen criticized the perceived ‘weakness’ of France’s approach, stating, There are retaliatory measures that are completely natural. Why are we showing such weakness with countries that spit in our faces morning, noon and night?
She expressed admiration for Trump’s initial days in office, where he fulfilled his electoral promises, a sentiment she feels has been missing in France for a long time. In contrast, Le Pen criticized Retailleau for his inaction, stating, Retailleau talks, talks, talks, but when does he act?… I would like Mr. Retailleau to do much more than he does.
However, Le Pen’s political future hangs in the balance as judges will decide on March 31 whether she should be barred from public office for five years for alleged corruption. This ruling could potentially disrupt French politics.