PARIS (AP) — French far-right leader Marine Le Pen is announcing a name-change Friday for her National Front party, founded by her father nearly a half-century ago. It is expected to become the National Rally to appeal to a broader range of voters ahead of next year’s European election.
The profile of Le Pen, a nationalist once at the center of France’s political limelight, has dimmed since she was trounced by pro-globalist Emmanuel Macron in the presidential election a year ago.
She announced a rebranding of the National Front at its March congress. Members were asked to vote by mail on the proposed new name with results announced at a meeting of the party leadership.
Le Pen hopes that Italy’s new populist government — the first in western Europe — that was sworn in Friday will boost her anti-immigration party’s fortunes in the country next door. Matteo Salvini, the head of Italy’s right-wing League party, which joined in a government coalition with Italy’s anti-establishment 5-Star Movement, is a friend of Le Pen.
“Nothing will stop the return of the people to the stage of History!” she tweeted in a bravo.
But Le Pen’s niece, a rising star in the National Front until she abruptly left the party after the 2017 presidential defeat, stands in the shadows of her aunt’s hoped-for revival, threatening to steal the show.
Marion Marechal-Le Pen, a former lawmaker, recently dropped the family moniker from her last name. Her political ambitions remain undefined but no one doubts she has them. She spoke at the annual conference of U.S. conservatives in February, taking the podium right after Vice President Mike Pence. And in September she is opening a school mixing French culture, political science and management in Lyon to train future right-wing elite.
Marine Le Pen has worked to remove the anti-racist and anti-Semitic stigma from the party co-founded by her father in 1972. She said at the party congress she now wants it to be viewed as a potential governing force, not just a protest movement. To make good on that, she formally severed all remaining ties to her firebrand founder Jean-Marie Le Pen by eliminating his title of honorary president-for-life.
The elder Le Pen, 89, is not happy with his daughter’s rebranding idea.
In a statement tweeted Friday, he said erasing the party’s identity is the “toughest blow” the National Front has faced since its founding. Nothing good can come of “the shameful erasing” of the party’s identity, he said.
