GLOBALISATION FEARS REMAIN
Europe far-right populism not dead, say analysts
Marine Le Pen’s campaign tapped into fears over high unemployment, immigration and the rising threat of jihadist terror attacks
Vienna — After Austria and the Netherlands, the defeat of France’s Marine Le Pen in a presidential run-off is a new blow for the European far right but its march to power is far from over, analysts warn. Victory appeared tantalisingly close for Le Pen, who had hoped to finish on Sunday what her father had failed to achieve in 2002: win the second round and save "the French civilisation" from the clutches of globalisation. Her campaign tapped into fears over high unemployment, immigration and the rising threat of jihadist terror attacks. But Le Pen’s intention to leave the eurozone proved a red flag to many and the presidential crown went to the pro-EU Emmanuel Macron, who bagged 66% of the vote against Le Pen’s 34%. It is the third setback for Europe’s far right in six months. In December, Austrian Norbert Hofer of the Freedom Party (FPOe) narrowly failed to win a presidential rerun vote. This was followed by the defeat in March of anti-Islam MP Geert Wilders in Dutch elections. But...
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