A Tweet From Far-right Icon Le Pen Causes Anger In France [View all]
Jean-Marie le Pen, the father of France's mainstream far right movement, provoked both outrage and support on Friday when he tweeted an image of his daughter Marine le Pen with the slogan "Keep Calm And Vote Le Pen.
"The elder Le Pen's message came as police struggled with two separate hostage standoffs in Paris. At least one of the incidents is believed linked to a terrorist attack on the offices of satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo that left 12 people dead Wednesday.
France's National Front, the far right party led by Marine le Pen, is widely expected to make political gains in the aftermath of the attacks. In an interview after the attack on Charlie Hebdo, Marine le Pen said that she had been warning of the dangers of Islamist fundamentalism for years. "It is the Islamists who have declared war on France," she told France 2.
While France's next presidential election isn't due until 2017, some polls are already showing Le Pen as the most popular candidate in first round voting. Socialist incumbent Francois Hollande has struggled with economic woes and personal problems since taking office in 2012. His approval ratings hit record lows last year.
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