Difference between revisions of "Marine Le Pen"

From Powerbase
Jump to: navigation, search
(status update)
 
(15 intermediate revisions by 3 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
 +
[[Image:Marine Le Pen.jpg|right|thumb|Marine Le Pen, MEP and leader of the French far right political party Front National]]'''Marine Le Pen''' (born 05 August 1968, Neuilly sur Seine) is the leader of the far right French party the [[Front National]]. She has been an MEP since 2004<ref>European Parliament, [http://www.europarl.europa.eu/members/archive/alphaOrder/view.do?language=EN&id=28210 MEP Directory: Marine Le Pen], accessed 30 November 2010.</ref> and was a lawyer during the 1990s.
  
[[Image:Marine Le Pen.jpg|right|thumb|Marine Le Pen, MEP]]
+
Marine Le Pen is the daughter of the Front National's founder [[Jean Marie Le Pen]], who she succeeded as leader in 2011.  
[[Marine Le Pen]] (born 05 August 1968, Neuilly sur Seine) is a French MEP from the [[National Front]] (since 2004).<ref>European Parliament, [http://www.europarl.europa.eu/members/archive/alphaOrder/view.do?language=EN&id=28210 MEP Directory: Marine Le Pen], accessed 30 November 2010.</ref>
 
  
 +
Since June 2015 she has been co-chair of the [[European Parliament]]'s [[Europe of Nations and Freedom Group]], which the Front National set up in 2014 with far right Flemish party [[Vlaams Belang]].
 +
 +
In December 2015, she led the [[Front National]] to victory in six out of 12 of the first round regional elections. However in the second round a huge turn out in reaction to the FN's success prevented the party from taking control of any regional power. Overall the party still polled an estimated 7 million votes nationwide and Le Pen declared herself a potential winner of the French presidential elections, due in 2017.<ref>John Lichfield, [http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/france-election-results-national-front-national-marine-le-pen-exit-poll-a6771876.html France election: Front National fails to win a single region in second round of voting – but Marine Le Pen insists she's still on course for presidency], The Independent, 14 December 2015</ref>
 +
 +
==Legal issues==
 +
===Hate speech charges over Islam comments===
 +
In October 2015 Le Pen went on trial for inciting racial hatred, having compared Muslims praying in the streets to the Nazi occupation during a party rally in Lyon in 2010. She denies the charge, defending her comments as merely 'expressing political ideas' and has accused the French government and justice minister [[Christiane Taubiraof]] of waging 'a real judicial persecution' of her and the Front National.<ref> Angelique Chrisafis,[http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/oct/20/marine-le-pen-front-national-accuses-government Marine Le Pen accuses French government of persecution], The ''Guardian'', 20 October 2015 17.37 BST, accessed 28 October 2015 </ref>
 +
 +
Anti-racism and Muslim rights groups had filed a complaint against Le Pen's comments about mass Muslim prayers on French streets in several cities including Paris, which were mostly the result of insufficient mosque space according to the ''New York Times''
 +
 +
Le Pen said that:
 +
 +
:'If you want to talk about the occupation, let’s talk about that, by the way, because here we are talking about the occupation of our space,' she said in 2010. 'It’s an occupation of entire stretches of territory, of neighborhoods where religious law is applied. This is an occupation. Sure, there are no armored vehicles, no soldiers, but it’s still an occupation, and it weighs on the inhabitants.'
 +
 +
Le Pen's parliamentary immunity was lifted in 2013 by the European Parliament in order for the prosecution to proceed.
 +
Human rights groups however expressed outrage over the recommendation by the French state prosecutor [[Bernard Reynaud]] during the trial that Le Pen be acquitted as she was 'simply exercising her right to free speech'. <ref>Adam Nossiteroct, [http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/21/world/europe/marine-le-pen-french-national-front-leader-speaks-at-her-hate-speech-trial.html?smid=pl-share&_r=0  Marine Le Pen, French National Front Leader, Speaks at Her Hate-Speech Trial] 20 October 2015, accessed 27 October 2015 </ref>
 +
 +
===Accusations of financial fraud===
 +
In January 2016, a prosecutor specialized in financial crimes opened a preliminary investigation into allegations that Marine and Jean-Marie Le Pen deliberately under-reported the value of their financial assets to a government watchdog. Both deny any wrongdoing, although a 2015 report by the High Authority for Transparency in Public Life (HATPV) accused them of making 'serious omissions' in their 2014 declaration of assets. The most notable object under investigation is a mansion in Paris that she and her father both have stakes in. If the investigation concludes in a trial and a conviction, the penalty for under-reporting financial assets can include a three-year prison sentence, a €45,000 fine and 10 years of being barred from running for office. <ref name=headaches> [http://www.politico.eu/article/marine-le-pens-legal-headaches-france-red-flag-national-front/ Le Pen's legal headaches], ''Politico'', November 24 2015. Accessed 25 November 2016. </ref>
  
 
==Affiliations==
 
==Affiliations==
===Parliamentary Affiliations===
+
===Parliamentary affiliations 2004-09===
 
:'''Member:'''
 
:'''Member:'''
 
: 20.07.2004 / 14.01.2007 : Non-attached Members
 
: 20.07.2004 / 14.01.2007 : Non-attached Members
Line 26: Line 45:
 
: 16.09.2009 / 14.11.2010 : Delegation for relations with Canada<ref>European Parliament, [http://www.europarl.europa.eu/members/archive/alphaOrder/view.do?language=EN&id=28210 MEP Directory: Marine Le Pen], accessed 30 November 2010.</ref>
 
: 16.09.2009 / 14.11.2010 : Delegation for relations with Canada<ref>European Parliament, [http://www.europarl.europa.eu/members/archive/alphaOrder/view.do?language=EN&id=28210 MEP Directory: Marine Le Pen], accessed 30 November 2010.</ref>
  
==Record and Controversies==
+
==Record==
 
===Declaration of Financial Interests===
 
===Declaration of Financial Interests===
 
<b>Paid Functions or Activities:</b>
 
<b>Paid Functions or Activities:</b>
Line 36: Line 55:
 
[[Image:Election Campaign.jpg|right|220px]]
 
[[Image:Election Campaign.jpg|right|220px]]
 
====Election Campaign 2009====
 
====Election Campaign 2009====
 
 
Marine Le Pen did not pledge to any of the four issues presented by the [http://www.electioncampaign.eu/ Election Campaign].<ref>Election Campaign, [http://www.electioncampaign.eu/ Marine Le Pen], accessed 05 June 2009.</ref>
 
Marine Le Pen did not pledge to any of the four issues presented by the [http://www.electioncampaign.eu/ Election Campaign].<ref>Election Campaign, [http://www.electioncampaign.eu/ Marine Le Pen], accessed 05 June 2009.</ref>
 
  
 
==Personal Information==
 
==Personal Information==
Line 88: Line 105:
 
[[Category:French Politician|Le Pen, Marine]]
 
[[Category:French Politician|Le Pen, Marine]]
 
[[Category:MEP FR FN|Le Pen, Marine]]
 
[[Category:MEP FR FN|Le Pen, Marine]]
 +
[[Category:Islam Critics|Le Pen, Marine]]
 +
[[Category:Far Right|Le Pen, Marine]]
 +
[[Category:Counterjihad|Le Pen, Marine]]

Latest revision as of 11:08, 25 November 2016

Marine Le Pen, MEP and leader of the French far right political party Front National

Marine Le Pen (born 05 August 1968, Neuilly sur Seine) is the leader of the far right French party the Front National. She has been an MEP since 2004[1] and was a lawyer during the 1990s.

Marine Le Pen is the daughter of the Front National's founder Jean Marie Le Pen, who she succeeded as leader in 2011.

Since June 2015 she has been co-chair of the European Parliament's Europe of Nations and Freedom Group, which the Front National set up in 2014 with far right Flemish party Vlaams Belang.

In December 2015, she led the Front National to victory in six out of 12 of the first round regional elections. However in the second round a huge turn out in reaction to the FN's success prevented the party from taking control of any regional power. Overall the party still polled an estimated 7 million votes nationwide and Le Pen declared herself a potential winner of the French presidential elections, due in 2017.[2]

Legal issues

Hate speech charges over Islam comments

In October 2015 Le Pen went on trial for inciting racial hatred, having compared Muslims praying in the streets to the Nazi occupation during a party rally in Lyon in 2010. She denies the charge, defending her comments as merely 'expressing political ideas' and has accused the French government and justice minister Christiane Taubiraof of waging 'a real judicial persecution' of her and the Front National.[3]

Anti-racism and Muslim rights groups had filed a complaint against Le Pen's comments about mass Muslim prayers on French streets in several cities including Paris, which were mostly the result of insufficient mosque space according to the New York Times

Le Pen said that:

'If you want to talk about the occupation, let’s talk about that, by the way, because here we are talking about the occupation of our space,' she said in 2010. 'It’s an occupation of entire stretches of territory, of neighborhoods where religious law is applied. This is an occupation. Sure, there are no armored vehicles, no soldiers, but it’s still an occupation, and it weighs on the inhabitants.'

Le Pen's parliamentary immunity was lifted in 2013 by the European Parliament in order for the prosecution to proceed. Human rights groups however expressed outrage over the recommendation by the French state prosecutor Bernard Reynaud during the trial that Le Pen be acquitted as she was 'simply exercising her right to free speech'. [4]

Accusations of financial fraud

In January 2016, a prosecutor specialized in financial crimes opened a preliminary investigation into allegations that Marine and Jean-Marie Le Pen deliberately under-reported the value of their financial assets to a government watchdog. Both deny any wrongdoing, although a 2015 report by the High Authority for Transparency in Public Life (HATPV) accused them of making 'serious omissions' in their 2014 declaration of assets. The most notable object under investigation is a mansion in Paris that she and her father both have stakes in. If the investigation concludes in a trial and a conviction, the penalty for under-reporting financial assets can include a three-year prison sentence, a €45,000 fine and 10 years of being barred from running for office. [5]

Affiliations

Parliamentary affiliations 2004-09

Member:
20.07.2004 / 14.01.2007 : Non-attached Members
21.07.2004 / 14.01.2007 : Committee on Culture and Education
15.09.2004 / 13.03.2007 : Delegation for relations with Israel
15.01.2007 / 13.11.2007 : Identity, Tradition and Sovereignty Group
15.01.2007 / 30.01.2007 : Committee on Culture and Education
31.01.2007 / 13.07.2009 : Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs
14.03.2007 / 13.07.2009 : Delegation for relations with Israel
14.11.2007 / 13.07.2009 : Non-attached Members
14.07.2009 / ... : Non-attached Members
16.07.2009 / ... : Committee on Employment and Social Affairs
16.09.2009 / ... : Delegation to the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly
Substitute:
21.07.2004 / 14.01.2007 : Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection
31.01.2007 / 13.07.2009 : Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection
15.03.2007 / 13.07.2009 : Delegation for relations with Australia and New Zealand
16.07.2009 / ... : Committee on International Trade
16.09.2009 / 14.11.2010 : Delegation for relations with Canada[6]

Record

Declaration of Financial Interests

Paid Functions or Activities:

  • Regional councillor
  • Member of European Parliament[7]

Record of Parliamentary Votes

Election Campaign.jpg

Election Campaign 2009

Marine Le Pen did not pledge to any of the four issues presented by the Election Campaign.[8]

Personal Information

Curriculum Vitae

  • Master's degree in law (specialising in the legal professions), University of Paris II (1990).
  • Postgraduate diploma (DEA) in criminal law (1991).
  • Diploma to practise as a lawyer (1992).
  • Lawyer practising in Paris (1992-1998).
  • Director of the National Front Legal Service (1998-2004).
  • Member of the central committee of the National Front.
  • Member of the National Front political bureau (2000).
  • Vice-President of the National Front (since 2003).
  • Member of the Nord Departmental Council (1998).
  • Member of the Île-de-France Regional Council and group chairwoman on the regional council (since 2004).
  • Chairwoman of the Génération Le Pen association.

Contact

Address:
Parlement européen
Bât. Willy Brandt
04M109
60, rue Wiertz / Wiertzstraat 60
B-1047 Bruxelles/Brussel
Phone:
+32 (0)2 28 45709
Fax
+32 (0)2 28 49709
Email:
marine.lepen AT europarl.europa.eu
Website:
http://www.marinelepen.com
EU Insigna.png This article is part of the MEPedia project of Spinwatch.



Resources

Notes

  1. European Parliament, MEP Directory: Marine Le Pen, accessed 30 November 2010.
  2. John Lichfield, France election: Front National fails to win a single region in second round of voting – but Marine Le Pen insists she's still on course for presidency, The Independent, 14 December 2015
  3. Angelique Chrisafis,Marine Le Pen accuses French government of persecution, The Guardian, 20 October 2015 17.37 BST, accessed 28 October 2015
  4. Adam Nossiteroct, Marine Le Pen, French National Front Leader, Speaks at Her Hate-Speech Trial 20 October 2015, accessed 27 October 2015
  5. Le Pen's legal headaches, Politico, November 24 2015. Accessed 25 November 2016.
  6. European Parliament, MEP Directory: Marine Le Pen, accessed 30 November 2010.
  7. European Parliament, Déclaration des Intérêts financiers des députés: Marine Le Pen, 08 January 2009, accessed 29 March 2009.
  8. Election Campaign, Marine Le Pen, accessed 05 June 2009.