Outspoken Nazi pursuer Klarsfeld indicates support for Le Pen political group
Passionate campaigner against Nazis and antisemitism, Serge Klarsfeld, shares his political views, stating he'd support the Right-wing populist party Rassemblement National (RN) in the upcoming French parliamentary elections. He finds the RN supportive of Jews, a surprising ally in the current political landscape. The 88-year-old Klarsfeld has spent decades fighting against Nazis and antisemitism alongside his German wife Beate.
French President Emmanuel Macron has called for new elections, just a week after the RN's win in the European elections. If no candidate obtains an absolute majority in the first round on June 30, a runoff will take place on July 7. Expect showdowns between the Left-wing populists of La France Insoumise (LFI) and the Right-wing populists led by Marine Le Pen.
First round voting strategy: Center it up
Klarsfeld describes LFI as distinctly anti-Jewish. He explains his voting choice, saying he'd support Rassemblement National due to his lifelong dedication to defending Jewish heritage, persecuted Jews, and the State of Israel. He finds himself politically farther to the right than the extreme left that dominates LFI, which he believes carries a stench of antisemitism and is clearly anti-Zionist.
In the first round, Klarsfeld prefers to vote for a center party, as he usually does. He adds that the parties on the European far-right have distanced themselves from antisemitism and support Jews.
Honored with the Legion of Honor by Macron, Klarsfeld and his wife Beate have been recognized for their relentless work in bringing Nazi collaborators to justice. Their efforts unveiled the role French authorities played in arresting foreign and stateless Jews.
Jean-Marie Le Pen, co-founder of the Front National and Marine Le Pen's father, has often dismissed the gas chambers as mere historical "details." In 2015, Marine Le Pen, the current RN faction leader, expelled her father from the party. She then renamed the party Rassemblement National in 2018.
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Klarsfeld's support for the RN in the upcoming French elections is surprising, given his history of fighting against Nazis and antisemitism, as Marine Le Pen's father, the co-founder of the Front National, had previously dismissed the Holocaust as mere historical "details."
Despite Klarsfeld's preference for voting for center parties in the first round, he expresses support for the Right-wing populist RN due to their recent distance from antisemitism and their alleged support for Jewish heritage and the State of Israel.
