Marine Le Pen said France could force immigrants to leave if they reject its laws, tying her assimilation stance to protests that have unfolded amid economic stagnation and a rise in her poll support.
Her remarks came in a 60 Minutes interview published by CBS News Sunday. Asked about people who reject French culture and refuse to follow French laws, Le Pen said the door was “wide open” and that France might make them leave.
She argued that taking in too many immigrants can destabilize society and that newcomers should join a shared national community. Le Pen contrasted this with what she described as the American “layered cake,” where communities keep their customs while living alongside one another. She also said immigrants were more likely than French citizens to be unemployed and argued that France should not take in more unemployed people.
Discrimination was raised as a possible explanation for the job gap by 60 Minutes contributor Trevor Phillips. Le Pen rejected that explanation, saying, “No, that doesn’t exist,” and calling France “the least racist country” in the world.
Le Pen attributed the protests to economic troubles and rioters she associated with “the extreme left.” CBS News reported that the unrest had damaged 2,500 businesses and injured 1,500 police officers.
CBS said economic stagnation had helped fuel demonstrations in recent weeks and that unrest had coincided with increased support for far-right politicians. The network reported that Le Pen leads polling for the presidential race and that her standing has improved since protests began. Reuters had also reported a protest-related rise in her ratings, which EconoTimes covered in its earlier report on France’s protest response.
CBS noted that Le Pen has lost three previous presidential bids and is appealing an embezzlement conviction. When Phillips asked whether French people or Le Pen herself had changed, she rejected the idea that France had become extremist and said people had come to know her over time. She described the moment as the end of an era of unrestrained globalization. France’s next presidential election is due next spring, CBS reported.
