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France’s Le Pen moves to take opposition mantle

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PARIS: French far-right leader Marine Le Pen took aim at both President Emmanuel Macron and radical leftist Jean-Luc Melench onSaturday as she sought to reposition her National Front as the main opposition force.


Addressing supporters in her first major rally since disappointing results in June’s parliamentary elections, Le Pen called on all French people to join in a consultation on the party’s future.


A congress, expected for early 2018, would choose a new name for the National Front, she confirmed.


“The great enterprise of refounding the national movement to which I invite you ... but also all French people, is inspired only by duty: the duty to take action and to win so that France can remain France for its children and for the world,” Le Pen said.


“The new organization will bear a new name which we can discuss during our exchanges and which will be chosen by you,” she promised supporters in the eastern French village of Brachay.


The National Front, founded by Le Pen’s father, Jean-Marie Le Pen, has been at odds about its political direction since her loss to Macron in May’s presidential election and its haul of only eight of the National Assembly’s 577 seats in June’s parliamentary polls.


Le Pen is anxious to steal back the opposition limelight from Melenchon’s La France Insoumise (France Unbowed) which, despite itself having only 17 lawmakers, has made most of the running in opposing Macron’s moves to liberalize French labour law.


Falling below the minimum of 15 seats to hold group speaking rights,the National Front has, in contrast, struggled to make an impact in the assembly. — dpa


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