Gideon Rachman (“We need to think about a Le Pen victory”, Opinion, April 12) is spot on with his claim that “rather than dismissing Le Pen’s chances, it is time to think seriously about what her possible victory would mean for France and beyond”. Her victory, if she kept her word, would most certainly mean, among other things, the restoration of “responsive” democracy to France.
Democracy in France has become increasingly skewed and unresponsive over the years. This has manifested itself in the current unprecedented popularity of Marine Le Pen. Her popularity upsurge symbolises the growing gap between the French public, who worries about the sustainability of its traditions and culture, and the French elite to whom such concerns are secondary to participating in the global economy as well as supporting globalisation and mass immigration.
The French democracy is indeed deep-rooted, liberal and unvengeful.
But is it representative? On immigration and multiculturalism, does it represent the views of the French public or the French elite? Only Le Pen’s election victory on April 24 can provide the answer to this question.
Simren Kaur
Jalandhar City, Punjab, India