Marine Le Pen is more dangerous than Donald Trump and could win next year’s French Presidential election, the country’s MP for Britain has warned.
Christophe Premat, the politician who represents over one hundred thousand French citizens living in Northern Europe, said there was a “dark cloud” descending on the continent.
He also voiced hopes the Government lose their impending Supreme Court battle not to give MPs a vote on triggering Article 50.
Speaking to The Huffington Post UK about the rise of Le Pen and the far-right, Premat said: “People see that it is possible in the US, so it might be possible to have a surprise in France, but I don’t think that she will make it this time.”
Asked if Le Pen was more dangerous than Trump, he said: “yes”.
The Socialist MP suggested Le Pen, who was last year cleared of inciting hatred for comparing Muslims street prayers to the Nazi occupation, would likely copy Trump’s campaign strategy.
“I don’t think that she will use the same phrasing but she will use the same type of campaign... They are more interested in the strategy than the phrasing.
“I don’t think that’s where Marine Le Pen will be as provocative as Trump - it’s not the same style.”
Premat also said Trump’s politics meant he would be considered a Front National member in France.
Discussing the upcoming Austrian Presidential election, being re-run after allegations of voter fraud invalidated the far-right Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ)’s sweeping win, Premat warned of a “dark cloud coming over Europe”.
“The social democracy era is over,” he proclaimed.
Premat then turned his fire on the British government, attacking Theresa May for using French nationals living here as negotiating chips in her battle with the EU and demanding an “a-la-carté” type of Brexit.
“She will try to negotiate the best advantages for access to the EU Market - but the French position is against that, because if you do that, you present a model of Europe a-la-carté by saying we don’t want to have the constraints of EU, but we want to have just the access to the market and that’s not possible.”
Finally, he said he hoped May and her Brexit team would lose the upcoming battle in the Supreme Court to deny MPs a vote on triggering Article 50, after a High Court ruled Parliament had to be consulted.
“I hope that the Parliament will have a say in that matter, because in the Parliament you need to have a discussion about Brexit.
“I think it’s a shame that David Cameron used that in terms of political strategy. It had huge consequences, it will be discussed both among the people but at the same time in the Parliament, so I think it’s good that the Parliament has its say about that.”
Premat added: “But of course I think that to some extent you should be able to respect the voice of the people, otherwise it might affect the democratic process.”