Le Pen 'trying to use these events to push her popularity', expert says
After a weekend of violence in France, political camps are trading blame for the "chaos". A University of Warwick expert says Marine Le Pen is using the events to boost her popularity before next year's elections.
Following violence and riots over the weekend in France, the country's political camps have been blaming one another for the "chaos", France 24 reported on 19 October.
The unrest has played into the hands of the far-right National Rally, led by Marine Le Pen. The party was quick to capitalise on public anger and fears over law and order.
Speaking with FRANCE 24's Mark Owen, Dr David Lees, a Reader in French Studies at the University of Warwick in the United Kingdom, said Le Pen "is trying to use these events as a vehicle for pushing her popularity ahead of the elections next year".
The source material does not specify where the riots took place, what caused them or how many people were affected. It says only that the violence and the blame that followed have become part of the political contest in France ahead of next year's elections.
