Interview with Marine Le Pen: “Macron is a president who actually despises the French”

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Import direct democracy to transform France. That is what Marine Le Pen (55), the number one political opponent of Emmanuel Macron (45), wants.

The French president also wants to hold more referendums in the future. He therefore invited the political parties to discuss it after his two-day visit to Switzerland. But: Macron does not want to talk about this subject in Switzerland, a referendum stronghold.

Unthinkable for Le Pen. The brains of the Rassemblement National (RN) have already promised that she will let the people vote more often if she ever moves into the Élysée Palace. In Blick she occupies an exclusive position.

Blick: Marine Le Pen, your RN is starting to look more and more like the Swiss SVP. A recognized party with a tough legal stance. They swear by the referendum. They condemn the dictates of the European Union. Are SVP and RN fighting the same battle?
Marine Le Pen: Comparisons with foreign countries are always dangerous. The French today see us as a political force capable of governing. Yes, we have things in common with the SVP: we have been warning for 25 years about Islamic fundamentalism and its consequences for our freedoms; We have been warning about uncontrolled immigration for 25 years.

If you had to explain your President Emmanuel Macron to the Swiss: what would you tell them?
He is a president who essentially despises the French. He claims he wants to include more referenda in the constitution, but he constantly insults his fellow citizens and governs against the people. I therefore hope that the Swiss will not be misled by him.

The French president will also speak about Europe in Switzerland. What do you, as a right-wing party, think about this?
I understand that a Swiss person is asking me this question. But in France, the right and the left have been pursuing the same policy for forty years. That’s why I think another distinction is much more accurate: that between globalists and nationalists. Macron is a typical globalist. I, on the other hand, defend the nation as General de Gaulle once did. My party stands for strong social protection, which can only exist within a national framework.

Do you believe in the referendum, as is customary in Switzerland? Would you like to introduce it in France?
I don’t want to import the Swiss system. Your tradition of direct democracy is so advanced that it cannot simply be copied. For me, the most important thing is that we strengthen the constitution again through referenda. It is the highest law. It is up to the people to change them. That’s exactly what I’m going to propose. Voters must once again have a say on important social issues, including immigration.

The Swiss are used to voting. Not the French. How do you want to educate your fellow citizens to vote on the subject of the referendum and not against those in power?
Clear and understandable rules must finally be presented to the French people. The current French Constitution provides for the possibility of consulting the people on economic and social organization. And social is what concerns society.

If you were visiting Switzerland instead of Macron: what questions about the referendum would you ask?
I would like to ask my interlocutors how the rules of democracy can be strictly observed. The people vote. It’s the sovereign. How do we ensure that everyone sticks to their decision? I would also like to ask her about the risk of fatigue if she has to vote so often. In short: How can we maintain confidence in our democratic institutions?

So you dream of turning France into a little Switzerland?
Not at all. I just want a functioning republic in which the people can be consulted without this always leading to deceit or division in the country. I am convinced that the French people are sensible. And that it is always right, even when it is wrong. Of course, guardrails are needed. International treaties, the United Nations, all this must exist so that the tragedies of history do not repeat themselves. But the only sovereign is the people.

Source:Blick