Thousands cheer on firebrand Eric Zemmour at
‘show of force’ rally in Paris
The far-right presidential candidate is hoping to stop
his downward spiral in the polls.
BY CLEA
CAULCUTT
March 27,
2022 9:04 pm
https://www.politico.eu/article/eric-zemmour-france-election-paris-le-pen-macron-polls/
PARIS —
First-time voters, disappointed National Rally supporters, and former
conservatives were among the tens of thousands who gathered in Paris on Sunday
to show their support for Eric Zemmour.
With polls
suggesting a second-round face-off between far-right leader Marine Le Pen and
incumbent Emmanuel Macron in April’s presidential election, Zemmour tried to
re-energize his voters at a mega rally in Paris.
“We are the
most determined in France. We are the strongest on the internet. We are the
most committed in political rallies. Now that we are rising, who can stop us?”
he asked the cheering crowd at a slickly produced gathering with big screens,
music and emotional testimonies.
“We have
done in three months what other politicians have been unable to do in 15 years.
We have 14 days left to do what nobody else has managed to do,” he told
supporters who chanted back “it’s us, it’s us, it’s us.”
Zemmour,
who is campaigning on promises of a hardline approach to immigration, Islam and
security, made the case that voting for him was “crucial” to save France, as
opposed to a wasted vote for Le Pen.
POLITICO’s
Poll of Polls says Macron is expected to get 28 percent of the vote, compared
to 19 percent for Le Pen, 14 percent for the far-left’s Jean-Luc Mélenchon and
11 percent for Zemmour. Macron is also expected to win a run-off vote against
Le Pen.
Not like
the others
Some of
those in the audience traveled from afar to show their support for Zemmour, the
former journalist who only emerged as a presidential candidate late last year.
Michelle, a
pensioner from Normandy and former Le Pen supporter, said Zemmour had given her
a fresh enthusiasm for politics and she had made the trip to Paris to help him
win the “war of images” against his opponents.
“He stands
out compared to all the others,” she said. “He loves France, something the
others forgot long ago. He is proud of France and wants to defend its honor.”
“Zemmour
comes from nowhere, he’s not a politician, he’s fighting to stop France from
disappearing. All the others promise stuff just to get elected.”
The
gathering, held at the Trocadéro square in front of the Eiffel Tower, also
brought in a lot of young first-time voters, attracted by what they called
Zemmour’s authenticity.
“He is a
real patriot and has some good ideas to save France,” said Baptiste Vilmin, a
metalworker from Champagne. “And he is not a professional politician, his
attitude is different.”
Vilmin, who
had come to the rally with a friend, also believed Zemmour would defy polling
predictions in the last weeks of campaigning. “I think people are going to wake
up, he can get through to them, there’s an energy around him,” he said.
Many in the
audience shared a suspicion of polling agencies, mainstream media and career
politicians, saying they were trying to destroy France.
Such
mistrust was echoed by Zemmour during his one-hour speech as he lambasted the
politicians and news organizations that disseminated “disinformation” on his
chances of getting elected.
“[Looking
back] people will say that … Politicians did everything to make us believe that
the election was a done deal, but we refused to submit and took our destiny in
our hands.”
Macron in
particular was a target of discontent. When Zemmour rattled off a list of
terrorist attacks in recent years to illustrate insecurity and the need for a
more radical approach to crime, there were chants of “Macron assassin! Macron
assassin!” in the audience.
With his
particular brand of populism, Zemmour is hoping to attract disappointed voters
from both the conservative Les Républicains and the far-right National Rally.
The Trocadéro square is a symbolic place for conservatives, an area where
former conservative candidates have held rallies in the past.
But while
allies of Zemmour still hope abstention might increase their champion’s
chances, many are already planning for defeat.
“We are not
speaking of winning 10 percent of the votes now, we are talking about 2-3 points
here, 2 points there,” said an ally who had left the National Rally to join
Zemmour.
“If Zemmour
loses the election, our project [for gathering the conservatives and the
far-right] is not over, it will just take longer,” the ally said.
Meanwhile,
a whirlwind tour of the French Caribbean island of Guadeloupe proved to be more
complicated than expected for Zemmour’s rival Le Pen. On Saturday the candidate
for the National Rally was heckled by leftwing protesters during an interview
at her hotel.
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