Le Pen says she is eager for France presidential vote September 17, 2016 - 18:04 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Far-right National Front party leader Marine Le Pen on Saturday, September 17 said she was eager for France's presidential election campaign to start, portraying herself as the "candidate of the people" and mocking her opponents' primaries as cockfights, Reuters reports. Opinion polls consistently show the anti-immigration, anti-EU Le Pen making it to the second round of the 2017 election. Her ratings have been boosted by worries over Europe's refugee crisis and concerns over Islamist attacks, But the same polls also show Le Pen losing the second-round runoff -- to be held in early May -- prompting her to make further efforts to polish her image and that of her camp, including with a campaign poster sporting the slogan "France Brought to Peace", and not bearing the party's name or logo. "I'm very relaxed, impatient to start this presidential campaign," Le Pen told reporters. "I am eager for the match to start, to debate issues that are essential to the survival of our country as it is now.» She was speaking at her party's annual rally, this year in the Mediterranean town of Frejus, where the mayor, David Rachline, is a rising party star and Le Pen's campaign manager. Le Pen, who was alone amid France's major party leaders to back Britain's exit from the European Union and is also alone in supporting U.S. Republican candidate Donald Trump, hopes to benefit from rising anti-establishment sentiment amid voters on both sides of the Atlantic. "I am, and will be, in this presidential election the candidate of the people, who have been forgotten, scorned, over the 20 past years," she said at the start of the rally in the southern France town of Frejus. Le Pen mocked the bitterly fought primaries of France's conservatives and centre-right, which will pit ex-president Nicolas Sarkozy against former Prime Minister Alain Juppe and other candidates in November, and that of the Left, scheduled for January. She said they were battles of egos and cockfights.   Top stories Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". The earthquake caused a temporary blackout, damaged many buildings and closed a number of rural roads.   Partner news |  Latest news The Power of One Dram to benefit Road of Life charity  The companies inform that the May beneficiary of The Power of One Dram is the “Road of Life” charitable organization.Ucom General Director gives lecture at French University in Armenia The General Director of Ucom Ralph Yirikian delivered a lecture at the French University of Armenia.Kazakhstan welcomes Yerevan, Baku’s agreement to meet in Almaty Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has welcomed the agreement of Baku and Yerevan to hold negotiations in Almaty.Armenia offers to temporarily host, preserve Gaza manuscripts The Armenian Foreign Minister has said Yerevan is ready to help preserve manuscripts from the conflict zone in Gaza. |
