French far right accuses left of threatening "civil peace" if Le Pen wins

CHALONS-EN-CHAMPAGNE, France: The French far right on Saturday (Aug 29) accused the left of seeking to "undermine civil peace" should Marine Le Pen win the presidential election next spring, underscoring the increasingly confrontational tone of the campaign.

With less than eight months until the vote, far-right leader Ms Le Pen, 58, remains the front-runner in the polls.

Analysts say the appeal of political extremes is growing in France, and recent surveys show that Jean-Luc Melenchon, the divisive leader of hard-left France Unbowed (LFI), may have the best chance of reaching the run-off against Ms Le Pen.

Speaking at an agricultural fair in the northeastern town of Chalons-en-Champagne, Jordan Bardella, president of Ms Le Pen's anti-immigrant, eurosceptic National Rally (RN) party and her choice for prime minister in the event of victory, said he was concerned by calls from the left for "civil disobedience" if the RN comes to power.

Mr Bardella, 30, said they amounted to "an admission of weakness from the left, which hates democracy and is calling into question the fundamental principles of the rule of law and the electoral process".

"The attitude of France Unbowed at the start of this campaign is deeply worrying," he said.

"They are already seeking to undermine civil peace in our country."

Mathilde Panot, parliamentary leader of France Unbowed, and Greens leader Marine Tondelier have recently said they would support "civil disobedience" in the event of an RN victory.

Some observers say the campaign is increasingly at risk of becoming a contest dominated by populist anti-establishment forces, raising concern among investors about the prospect of a run-off between the far right and the hard left.

Mr Bardella said he was concerned about Mr Melenchon's "true intentions".

During a first presidential debate on Thursday, Mr Melenchon, 75, vowed to "disobey" European decisions that contradict the wishes of French voters and pressed ahead with his proposals to cancel a chunk of France's public debt.

"France Unbowed and Monsieur Melenchon do not want to win this presidential election," said Mr Bardella.

"They do not want to protect institutions, they want to destroy them."