March to the Right

Why are young people in France choosing the far-right?

March to the Right As elections are underway in France, it's becoming clear that the far-right's advance into the mainstream isn't slowing. What is behind the popularity of far-right candidates like Marine Le Pen and Éric Zemmour?
In France, as far-right candidates have been polling at record-high levels, it is clear that political views once regarded as extreme have become more commonplace. 'We live in a multicultural society and we've just seen that multiculturalism doesn't work', says Thais, a social media influencer. Thais fiercely supports extreme-right candidate Éric Zemmour, who espouses, among other controversial views, the 'great replacement' conspiracy theory - a debunked theory that Muslims plan to 'replace' white Europeans. Marine Le Pen - more moderate than Zemmour, but still far to the right, is also enjoying support: 'she loves France. She loves French culture. And I think she will save France', says one supporter. Yet others believe that populist candidates like Le Pen are neglecting France's real issues, using immigrants as scapegoats for the economic troubles which have culminated in yellow vest protests. 'It's easy. In simple terms, it's called populism. It's easy to always blame the poorest, saying that they are the problem, when the problem is economic. It's hypocritical of them. They just use us as a scapegoat', says Ahmed Chekhab, a deputy mayor.
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