David Patrikarakos David Patrikarakos

Could the French far left propel Marine Le Pen to victory?

The French philosopher Jean-Pierre Faye’s career has encompassed everything from fiction to prose poetry, but he will best be remembered for his contribution to political science: Horseshoe Theory. This maxim holds that the far left and far right, rather than being at opposite ends of a linear political spectrum, in fact closely resemble each other. This is because the political spectrum is not linear but instead curves like a horseshoe, the right and left extremes of which almost meet. Faye’s theory has often been derided for being simplistic, so he could be forgiven for feeling a quiet sense of vindication after a recent survey of supporters of the defeated far left candidate Jean-Luc Mélenchon, a former Trotskyite, who received 19.6 per cent of the vote during the first round of the French presidential elections held on 23 April. The survey found that 65 per cent of Mélenchon’s supporters would not vote for the centrist candidate Emmanuel Macron, who went through to the final round – to be held on 7 May – alongside Marine Le Pen, who was leading the Front National, a party long-deemed fascist. Instead, they would either not vote or spoil their ballots. Apathy would trump anti-Fascism. If they are true to their word, the possibility that the far right may win power in France becomes, while still unlikely, a real possibility. The majority of the defeated candidates such as the conservative Francois Fillon almost immediately urged their supporters to back Macron to save France from the threat of extremism. Meanwhile, French President Francois Hollande told voters Macron would ‘defend values which will bring French people together’. Mélenchon, however, categorically refused to endorse Macron over Le Pen – instead vowing to consult his party members. The results of which are now clear, and which demonstrate the dangers that the hard left now poses to democracy.

Already a subscriber? Log in

Keep reading with a free trial

Subscribe and get your first month of online and app access for free. After that it’s just £1 a week.

There’s no commitment, you can cancel any time.

Or

Unlock more articles

REGISTER

Comments

Don't miss out

Join the conversation with other Spectator readers. Subscribe to leave a comment.

Already a subscriber? Log in