Prague, Sept 7 (CTK) – The French ultra-right National Front (FN) headed by Marine Le Pen wants to launch a foreign part of its election campaign in the lower house of Czech parliament in September, but its chairman Jan Hamacek is opposed to it, the Respekt.cz server reported on Wednesday.
The organisers concealed the information that it would be a political meeting and they spoke only about a meeting with citizens, Hamacek (senior government Social Democrats, CSSD) said, adding that he expected the Chamber of Deputies to cancel the event.
A two-round presidential election, in which Le Pen intends to run, will be held in France next spring, followed by parliamentary elections in June.
Le Pen’s FN wants to kick off its election campaign focused on the French living abroad in the Czech lower house on September 23, Respekt.cz writes.
The event is to be held under the aegis of deputy Tomio Okamura, chairman of the populist Freedom and Direct Democracy party.
However, when the plan was debated in parliament, it was described as a meeting with citizens, not a pre-election rally, the server writes.
“MP Okamura has asked the Chamber chancellor for consent to a meeting of MEP Edouard Ferrand with French citizens living in the Czech Republic, not to a political meeting of the Front National [National Front]. Since he did not provide true information about the character of the event, the meeting will not take place,” Hamacek told the server.
Petr Kynstetr, head of the office of the Chamber of Deputies, can formally ban the meeting, Respekt.cz cites Hamacek as saying.
Le Pen said recently that if she succeeded in the presidential election, she would, for instance, call a referendum on France’s departure from the EU or recognise the Russian annexation of Crimea. She is also opposed to Muslims and accepting of refugees.
