If Le Pen wins she might damage France’s economy and its role in Europe
Right-wing leader Marine Le Pen has a real chance to become France’s president, which could send shock waves through financial markets
There appears to be a consensus view that Marine Le Pen, candidate of the far-right Front National, will advance to a second-round run-off before losing by a wide margin to a more mainstream opponent. That’s what happened to her father in 2002. Not so fast. Le Pen has a real chance to become France’s next president. If she does, she might do much more damage to France’s economy and its role in Europe than even she intends. Her odds of winning are higher than most think. First, Le Pen is part of a deeply flawed field of candidates. Benoît Hamon and Jean-Luc Mélenchon have divided voters on the left. François Fillon, candidate of the centre-right Les Républicains, has been badly damaged by corruption charges. Centrist candidate Emmanuel Macron has not yet been tested, and he has no reliable support base. Le Pen might not have majority support, but her voters seem much more motivated than those of any of her rivals. Last November, Donald Trump won support from just 26% of eligible US v...
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