The National Front And French Politics

'Jonathan Marcus...stands out from most of his colleagues in the media by making a case for the non-alarmists. His National Front and French Politics is a throughtful study, which in the end, provides a more effective refutation of the myths peddled by Le Pen than would an angry pamphlet.' - Henri Astier, Times Literary Supplement `Jonathan Marcus's comprehensive account provides plenty of analysis to go with the factual background to the rise of Le Pen and the NF. There are particularly good chapters on the many strands of far-right opinion, from collaborators to extreme Catholics who eventually found a home with the new party.' - Andrew Bell, BBC Worldwide 'I am convinced that the book will be extremely valuable to all English-speaking students of contemporary French politics.' - Stanley Hoffmann, Harvard University The extreme right-wing National Front is now France's fourth largest political party. At the 1988 Presidential election, its leader Jean-Marie Le Pen obtained over 14 per cent of the popular vote. Le Pen's xenophobic anti-immigrant message has attracted significant support in France. This book examines the rise of Le Pen's party, and its impact on the French political scene. How far is it a threat to French democracy? And is the National Front now a permanent feature of French politics?

This provocative and non-polemic study explores the value system of the National Front movement in France, and explains the way in which the movement's ideology has been formulated and articulated in the 1980s and 1990s. Also discussing the crucial role of Le Pen, this book provides a fascinating enquiry into the most controversial political party in contemporary France.

In light of the transformation of the Front National (FN) to a major player in French politics, this book examines how the unprecedented boost in positive opinions towards the FN as well as its increasing membership and electoral success have been possible. Using a supply and demand framework and a mixed methods approach, the author investigates the development of the FN and compares the “new” FN under Marine Le Pen with the “old” FN under Jean-Marie Le Pen across 4 dimensions: (1) the party’s ideology, (2) the leadership styles of the two leaders including the composition of the party elites and the leaders’/ parties’ relationship with the media, (3) the party members and (4) the party voters. It appeals to scholars interested in the study of radical right-wing movements and parties as well as to anybody interested in French politics.

Over the past few decades, extreme-right political parties have won increasing support throughout Europe. The largest and most sophisticated of these is the French National Front. Led by the charismatic Jean-Marie Le Pen, the Front is now the third most important political force in France after the mainstream right and the socialists.This clear and comprehensive book explores the antecedents for the meteoric rise of the National Front. Beginning with a political history of the extreme right from 1945 to 1995, Harvey Simmons traces links between Le Pen and French neo-fascist and extreme-right organizations of the 1950s and 1960s, and concludes with analyses of the Front's antisemitism, racism, organization, ideology, language, electorate, and views on women. Simmons argues that the Front is not a party like any other, but a major threat to French democracy.

A study of the French National Front and its implications for the rest of the western world.

This provocative and non-polemic study explores the value system of the National Front movement in France, and explains the way in which the movement's ideology has been formulated and articulated in the 1980s and 1990s. Also discussing the crucial role of Le Pen, this book provides a fascinating enquiry into the most controversial political party in contemporary France.

Over the past few decades, extreme-right political parties have won increasing support throughout Europe. The largest and most sophisticated of these is the French National Front. Led by the charismatic Jean-Marie Le Pen, the Front is now the third most important political force in France after the mainstream right and the socialists.This clear and

Over the past few decades, extreme-right political parties have won increasing support throughout Europe. The largest and most sophisticated of these is the French National Front. Led by the charismatic Jean-Marie Le Pen, the Front is now the third most important political force in France after the mainstream right and the socialists.This clear and comprehensive book explores the antecedents for the meteoric rise of the National Front. Beginning with a political history of the extreme right from 1945 to 1995, Harvey Simmons traces links between Le Pen and French neo-fascist and extreme-right organizations of the 1950s and 1960s, and concludes with analyses of the Front's antisemitism, racism, organization, ideology, language, electorate, and views on women. Simmons argues that the Front is not a party like any other, but a major threat to French democracy.