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Fascism was created by a former socialist named Benito Mussolini who organized a violent, nationalist, anti-socialist movement that he named “Fasci”. Eventually, Fasci, which signified “league,” developed into the National Fascist Party which ruled from 1922 to 1943 when Mussolini was deposed by the Grand Council of Fascism. Overall, fascism is incoherent, however, it features ethnically based ultra-nationalism, mass mobilization of public, a charismatic leader, strong state control of the economy, economic corporatism, opposition to liberalism and an emphasis on national culture, masculinity, and violence. Marine Le Pen exemplifies many fascist idiosyncrasies which give the impression that fascism is making a comeback in Western societies such as France. Although she intentionally does not portray herself as a fascist, a closer analysis reveals all the characteristics of classic fascism. To determine whether or not Marine Le Pen and the French National Front can be classified as fascist, we must analyze the core of her ideology, the history of her political formation and the political formation of the French National Front.
When one takes a closer look into the French Presidential candidates of 2017 such as Le Pen, it does give the appearance that fascism is making a comeback in Western societies like France, where Le Pen and the National Rally political party operates. A close analysis of the core of her ideology reveals that her political views are not inextricable from those of her father. She did not have an epiphany which resulted in a significant ideological shift, but rather, the break with him was in an effort to rebrand her image. It was about portraying the party in less harsh light to appeal to a wider range of voters and depict itself as a more mainstream party. In fact, part of the process included going to court on two separate occasions to halt the spread of accusations labeling her a fascist so as not to risk being associated with widely condemned fascists such as Hitler and Mussolini. However, other current political figures such as President Donald Trump are also being accused of being fascist. Thus, it is important to note contrasts between Le Pen and Trump, whom both have very similar rhetoric, to explain why the claims against her are far more substantial. For example, Trump appears to be motivated by what he thinks will win him popularity and always leaves room for interpretation whereas Le Pen has a powerful philosophical foundation. Overall, Le Pen has a coherent ideological program which she markets as authoritarian populism to mask her fascist underpinnings.
Another key indicator in the determination of whether or not she is fascist lies within the history of her political formation. The core of her party, such as her advisors, hold very traditional far-right views which are very closely related to her father. The members who form the inner circle of her party are not just openly anti-Semitic but are also against mixed-race marriages and are concrete conspiracy theorists. However, the outer fringe of members are far less inhibited by these esoteric fascist politics and have a more anti-Islamic and authoritarian outlook who are more concerned with immigration. In conjunction with the anti-immigration rhetoric that all of her party supports, Le Pen displays an ethnically-based common feature of fascism known as ultra-nationalism which is based upon an “emphasis of national culture”. For example, the coded racial diction she employs when she refers to who is or is not French is actually a distinction between who is white versus a french citizen. Her ability to speak in politically correct terms and still have her intended message clearly understood is due to her charismatic qualities. Ultimately her actions betray the far-right and fascist roots at the core of her and her party’s ideology. One of the ways the French National Front differs from other fascist Europeans parties is the unique way in which the French party operates. The pivotal difference is their close link with colonialism and their close connection to resistance to decolonization in the post-war period. In essence, her party arose out of a more extensive tradition of classical fascism and was concretized around resentment of the process of decolonization.
Although she displays fascist tactics, if Le Pen were to rise to power in France, the legislative and judicial branches are too deeply seeded in Democracy for her to be able to convert France to fascism overnight. Even though most of Le Pen’s ideology aligns seamlessly with the common features of fascism, it is the combination of all of the aspects of fascism that makes it fascist. Key features of fascism that she does not implement is a mass mobilization of the public, strong state control and an emphasis on masculinity and violence. However, her opposition to the EU, antipathy towards Muslims and immigrants, and her economic protectionism would most definitely result in the imposition of fascist policies. Her current proposed policies might lack substance, similarly to Trump, but she has powerful rhetoric and a lot of charisma. Thus, if she gained power, she would instigate change in the message being emitted from the government to align it with fascism. The atmosphere created by her rhetoric would inevitably target and make life difficult for minorities, Muslims and migrants. In summation, the system of checks and balances in place in France would necessitate the implementation of a long-term agenda for Le Pen should she attempt to transform France to fit her ideology. In summation, modern mainstream political movements like the National Rally political party should not be considered fascist based on fascist tendencies on the leaders.
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