Marine Le Pen tells Nigel Farage British PM is ‘good at getting it wrong’
French far-right presidential candidate Marine Le Pen has slammed British Prime Minister Theresa May for “contradictions” over Brexit, in an interview with former UKIP leader Nigel Farage.
Le Pen criticized the British prime minister for hosting her main rival, centrist Emmanuel Macron, at Downing Street in February, but failing to offer her the same privilege.
When asked in the interview with Farage, due to be aired on LBC Radio on Wednesday night, whether she thought this was overt support for Macron and a snub towards her, Le Pen said: “It seems to be the case.”
Highly controversial Le Pen, who has been forced to deny her National Front party is racist, told anti-EU Farage the decision to host Macron was inconsistent with May’s own stance on delivering Brexit and reducing immigration to Britain.
Macron, who is strongly pro-EU, represents “the opposite of what Brexit stands for,” according to Le Pen.
“I find it difficult to understand the consistency of the ideas and convictions in this approach of hers because Mr Macron is of course the key salesperson of globalization.
“He’s for everything, deregulation of everything, opening up the borders, mass immigration.
“He went to Algeria, he explained it was necessary to build a bridge as it were between Europe and Algeria for even more immigration, which is the opposite of what Brexit stands for in the choice made by the British people.
“So I do not understand this inconsistency, this contradiction between what Theresa May stands for - because she has decided to be the woman who will implement Brexit - and her meeting with Emmanuel Macron.”
Asked whether she had requested a meeting with May herself, Le Pen said she had not, but would have to meet May if she was elected.
The British government has a long-standing policy not to engage with Le Pen’s National Front, which has been considered toxic for decades by many mainstream European parties, Reuters reports.
The first round of the French election takes place on April 23, after which the two candidates with the most votes, expected to be Le Pen and Macron, enter a run-off on May 7.
Macron is expected to win by a wide margin.
Farage suggested to Le Pen that May’s attitude towards her would change if she won the French election, drawing a parallel to Britain’s dealings with US President Donald Trump.
“She is good at getting it wrong but this is rather reassuring,” Le Pen responded.
