Marine Le Pen accepts Madonna’s invitation out
The leader of France’s National Front party Marine Le Pen accepted an offer from pop star Madonna to have a drink to discuss her vision of human rights. The gesture comes after Madonna described Le Pen’s party as "fascist."
“I accept Madonna's invitation with pleasure, I appreciate people who have a good faith approach,” Le Pen told AFP.
Where or when the meeting will take place is still unknown.
Madonna unexpectedly invited the right-wing leader out for a drink during a TV talk show on Monday.
“I think that I would like to sit down and have a drink with Marine Le Pen,” she told news show Grand Journal.
The unusual invitation appeared as an attempt to calm a confrontation with Le Pen, who had threatened a lawsuit over the demonstration of her photo with swastika imposed on the forehead at Madonna’s Paris concert in 2012.
READ MORE: Europe ‘feels like Nazi Germany,’ says Madonna
“I want to understand where she's coming from. Maybe I misunderstood Marine Le Pen, I am not sure. I don't want to start a war. I want peace in the world,” the pop singer said.
Last week, Madonna described Le Pen’s National Front party as “fascist” and said that Europe and France in particular felt like Nazi Germany. Speaking on radio network Europe 1, she pointed out growing anti-semitism and far-right moods across Europe and especially in France.
“It was a country that embraced everyone and encouraged freedom in every way, shape or form of artistic expression of freedom. Now that's completely gone,” she said.
Madonna blamed National Front of growing racism, and mentioned she got “a lot of criticism and threats” from its leader, whose name she pronounced incorrectly as "Marie Le Pen."
The party and its founder Jean-Marie Le Pen – Marine's father – has been often accused of racism and anti-semitism during his decades-long political career. However as the party is gaining greater support from the French public, Marine Le Pen is working on softening National Front’s image and stance on many issues.
According to opinion polls National Front outperforms its main rivals for the local elections on March 22 and 29, gaining the support of almost 30 percent of respondents.
