02:11France: Le Pen talks policing at press conference held after first-round victory
Front National (FN) leader Marine Le Pen held a press conference the day after the party secured top spot in the first round of regional elections, at the party's campaign headquarters in Lille on Monday. FN won in six of France's 13 regions, securing almost one-third of the total vote.
Le Pen commented on issues of policing at a refugee camp in nearby Calais, saying the party could not itself take responsibility for maintaining law and order in the area, despite its location in a region in which the party secured first place. "We don't have a police force, strictly it [the party] doesn't have anything to do with it; we don't have a police force available," she said. "It is up to the state to take responsibility," she stressed. Le Pen spoke more broadly on the topic of immigration, and also commented on issues of security and 'terrorism' in the wake of a series of coordinated attacks in Paris on November 13 in which 130 people lost their lives.
Front National secured around 28 percent of the vote in Sunday's first round, beating the Republicans who secured just under 27 percent and the ruling Socialist Party who polled with 23.5 percent. The second and final round of regional elections is due to be held on Sunday, December 13.
02:11Front National (FN) leader Marine Le Pen held a press conference the day after the party secured top spot in the first round of regional elections, at the party's campaign headquarters in Lille on Monday. FN won in six of France's 13 regions, securing almost one-third of the total vote.
Le Pen commented on issues of policing at a refugee camp in nearby Calais, saying the party could not itself take responsibility for maintaining law and order in the area, despite its location in a region in which the party secured first place. "We don't have a police force, strictly it [the party] doesn't have anything to do with it; we don't have a police force available," she said. "It is up to the state to take responsibility," she stressed. Le Pen spoke more broadly on the topic of immigration, and also commented on issues of security and 'terrorism' in the wake of a series of coordinated attacks in Paris on November 13 in which 130 people lost their lives.
Front National secured around 28 percent of the vote in Sunday's first round, beating the Republicans who secured just under 27 percent and the ruling Socialist Party who polled with 23.5 percent. The second and final round of regional elections is due to be held on Sunday, December 13.