Marine Le Pen : Don’t forget this name. Come April, and her name might be all over the world. She can become next French President in the forthcoming elections and her chances were never brighter than today. But what is more important, is the implications of her chances. Say, what would it mean for the world if she can make all the way to the Presidency of France. Well, it would mean a lot.
Marine hails from a far right National Front. She is tooth and nail against illegal immigration. She can’t stand radical Islam. If she had her way, she would ban the use of Burqa and skull cap (for Muslims as well as jews) in the public life citing a secular civil code. And her stakes are growing by the day. Last year’s regional elections in France saw an immense rise in her vote share and come april, she is going to pose a great challenge to Socialist Francois Hollande and Republican Nicolas Sarkozy, this much is certain.
Today there are some five million Muslims in France, almost 7.5 percent of the total population. This is the highest percent of Muslim population in any EU nation. From across the Mediterranean Sea, immigrants keep pouring into France, from Tunisia and Libya mostly. The consequences are apparent. No nation in Europe today is more worse hit than France. It has been victim of some of the most gruesome terrorists attacks in recent years, including the infamous Paris attack. Almost all of EU is divided on the issue of illegal immigration and radical Islam. Britain has already said goodbye to the Union and this can unleach a proverbial cat in among the pigeons. Netherlands, Belgium and Germany have their own share of demographic problems, behind which rising muslim population due to illegal immigration is one big reason. And Marine is in no mood to have it keep happening.
Protectionism. This is the word. This is the word which won Donald Trump United States of America. And this word may well win France for Marine. This is the case everywhere in fact. All world is becoming protectionist, obsessed with its own immediate interests. The bubble of Globlization is bursting. Donald Trump said offensive things like raising walls and deporting immigrants and this rant won him big numbers in United States. This has only embolden Marine further. No wonder she was quick to wish Trump after his spectacular victory, saying : “You have made the impossible possible and now everyone around the world, wants its future back.”
India, Russia, Britain, America, France : This is a pattern, too obvious to overlook. Call it Bandwagon effect. Call it Chain reaction. But it is there and unfolding. In the root of the Globalization, there was a liberal, open spirit. There was also this belief that now when we are opening our doors to you, we hope that you won’t hurt us. After a quarter century of the Globlization, this hope is wearing itself thin. A Xenophobia is evident across the shores. People are suspicious of other peoole, those who belong to different race or nationality. They feel that they are being robbed in name of Globlization by the liberal power elites and you can’t blame them to think this way.
In January, Donald Trump will formally assume office as the President of United States. World will be keeping a close eye on what he does especially with illegal immigration and radical Islam. At the same time, eyes will be on the France too. A major nation and a part of G-8, France affect the world order in big way and the rise of protectionism in as many as four nations from G-8 is certainly going to make a lot of difference to the hypothesis of Globalization. It wasn’t too long ago when analysts were predicting a multi-polar world after the “Rise of the Rest”. None had predicted that this “Rise” will take a “Right turn” far too soon.