FRANCE: FAR RIGHT LEADER JEAN MARIE LE PEN ACCUSES JACQUES CHIRAC OF NOT HAVING DIGNITY TO RENOUNCE HIS BID FOR PRESIDENCY
Record ID:
646610
FRANCE: FAR RIGHT LEADER JEAN MARIE LE PEN ACCUSES JACQUES CHIRAC OF NOT HAVING DIGNITY TO RENOUNCE HIS BID FOR PRESIDENCY
- Title: FRANCE: FAR RIGHT LEADER JEAN MARIE LE PEN ACCUSES JACQUES CHIRAC OF NOT HAVING DIGNITY TO RENOUNCE HIS BID FOR PRESIDENCY
- Date: 28th April 2002
- Summary: (U7) PARIS, FRANCE (26 APRIL 2002) (REUTERS) 1. SLV PAN MEDIA BRIEFING 0.07 2. (SOUNDBITE) (French) JEAN MARIE LE PEN, FRENCH PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE, SAYING "All the organized mafias, the trade unions, all the political, economical and cultural lobbies of all sorts are against my candidacy. I have, on my side, one single ally, but a truly mighty one: the French people." 0.28 3. SLV MEDIA BRIEFING 0.30 4. (SOUNDBITE) (French) LE PEN SAYING "We believe that within the overall task of the reconstruction of France, the reestablishment of the death penalty will be a must, and of course we will not accept to stay constrained by structures that prevent us from doing it." 5. MEDIA BRIEFING 0.43 5. SLV PRESS CONFERENCE 0.46 6. (SOUNDBITE) (French) LE PEN SAYING "I think that considering the earth shattering defeat of not only the Prime Minister but also that of the outgoing president who did not even get 20 percent of the vote in a poll where thirty percent of the people did not cast their ballot, the dignity that lead Mr Jospin to resign should also have lead Mr Chirac to do the same. But dignity is a quality totally alien to him." 1.15 7. SLV JEAN MARIE LE PEN LEAVING PODIUM 1.23 (U7) DREUX, FRANCE (APRIL 26, 2002) (REUTERS TV) 8. SLV CAR WITH FRENCH PRESIDENT JACQUES CHIRAC ARRIVING/CROWD CHANTING; MV CHIRAC WITH MEDIA; MV CHIRAC ARRIVING INSIDE MEETING ROOM, SHAKING HANDS, KISSING WOMAN; SLV PAN FROM CAMERAS TO WIDE OF MEETING ROOM (5 SHOTS) 2.02 9. (SOUNDBITE)(French) CHIRAC SAYING "Experience shows that over the the last few days, troubles in the society always lead to authoritarianism. It is like that, and that is the danger. It seems that we are discovering it all of a sudden." 2.24 10. MV AUDIENCE LISTENING 2.29 11. (SOUNDBITE)(French) CHIRAC SAYING "The problem took such a magnitude that we need the head of State to take responsibility and give the impulse. It's the reason why I said, if elected, I would create a council of national security in charge of giving the impulse, of showing the way and of course taking the responsibility." 2.56 12. MV CHIRAC PUTTING DOCUMENTS IN ATTACHÉ CASE/AUDIENCE STANDING UP AND APPLAUDING 3.04 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 13th May 2002 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: PARIS AND DREUX, FRANCE
- Country: France
- Reuters ID: LVAB5RFGLRITZ10O9ZXKLXGIU38O
- Story Text: Jean Marie Le Pen has plans to take France back to the
days of the guillotine and has accused Jacques Chirac of not
having the dignity to renounce his bid for the presidency.
Meanwhile, President Chirac made a visit to Dreux, west of
Paris, a town once considered a stronghold of his opponent.
Jean Marie Le Pen told journalists at a press conference
in Paris on Friday (26 April, 2002) that France needs the
death penalty, and he vowed to restore it if he wins the
decisive presidential vote in the May 5 elections.
The far-right populist candidate, who claims to have the
support of the poorest in France, accused his opponents of
belonging to or sympathizing with organized mafias and lobbies
that are working to keep him out of the presidency. Thousands
of people have rallied the streets of avery major city in
France to oppose Le Pen's election, every day since the first
round of the vote last Sunday (21 April).
Le Pen, who will head his traditional May 1 rally next
Wednesday, said he is not concerned about those who could
attempt to disrupt his gathering, and appealed to the police
to do everything that is needed to ensure he can fulfil his
act in peace.
An ardent anti-immigration militant, Le Pen reminded the
press that he will strengthen measures to protect the jobs of
the French workers.
As he prepared to leave the podium, Le Pen praised Lionel
Jospin's dignity to have retired from political life after his
defeat in the polls, and said Chirac should have done the same.
Chirac, meanwhile, was in the city of Dreux, a city west
of Paris that was once seen as a stonghold for his opponent.
Dreux, a racially-mixed town, has a special symbolism in
France as a town where the National Front came to power in a
broad right-wing coalition in 1983. It was the first town in
France to elect a National Front member as its representative
in the National Assembly, sending shockwaves similar to those
which greeted Le Pen's success in last week's first round of
presidential elections. It has since been ousted from local
power by Chirac's Rally for the Republic (RPR) party.
Security was one of the main topics discussed on Friday
(April 26) ranging from violence at school to incivility.
However, President Jacques Chirac said France was not in
the grip of a crime wave, hoping to dispel a mood of fear that
has played into the hands of his presidential rival,
far-rightist Jean-Marie Le Pen.
In stark contrast to his warnings of rising delinquency
and violence before Sundays (April 21) first round, Chirac
said the problem was not as dramatic as portrayed by a
national media which exploited crime to win audiences.
Chirac, who as the only candidate standing between Le Pen
and the Elysee Palace has received endorsements from defeated
Socialist Prime Minister Lionel Jospin, who after five days of
silence, on Friday (April 26) called finally for the country
to vote against extreme right leader Jean-Marie Le Pen.
Chirac who also received endorsements from former enemies
on France's hard left, is widely expected to defeat Le Pen in
a May 5 runoff.
In the first round of presidential elections, Chirac
topped the poll in Dreux with around 20 percent, with Le Pen
arriving second.
A major anti-Le Pen march through the streets of the
capital is planned for Saturday (April 27) afternoon, while on
Sunday (April 28) a rally is expected outside the Pantheon,
the burial place of the great and the good of French history,
at the behest of human rights groups and the Union of Jewish
Students in France.
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