Marine Le Pen's use of Fillon phrases was tribute, not plagiarism, says aide
Aides of the French far-right presidential candidate Marine Le Pen have brushed off criticism of her use of phrases from a speech by her conservative rival François Fillon in her May Day address to supporters.
Florian Philippot, the deputy leader of Le Pen’s Front National party, said the party “completely owned up” to the fact that the speech resembled one made by Fillon a month ago. The similarities were mocked by her opponents on social media on Monday night.
Analysis Marine Le Pen's party upbeat amid complaints of lethargy on the left
Even on May Day, as anti-Front National marches took place, unions that once held firm against Jean-Marie Le Pen were split
Read morePhilippot told Radio Classique that Le Pen’s speech was a “nod-and-a-wink” to Fillon’s earlier discourse in order to “launch a real debate” concerning French identity.
French media highlighted the similarities between Le Pen’s speech at her rally north of Paris on 1 May and one by Fillon given on 15 April, before he was knocked out of the presidential contest.
Le Pen – who faces the centrist frontrunner Emmanuel Macron in a final runoff on 7 May – spoke of France’s long and proud history and the country’s roots in western Europe.
AdvertisementLe Pen mentioned France’s “three maritime borders” with the English Channel, North Sea and the Atlantic. That same phrase was also used by Fillon.
Le Pen described France’s borders and ties with “Italy, our sister” – again a phrase used in Fillon’s April speech.
She also used a quote from the early 20th-century French prime minister Georges Clemenceau: “Once a soldier of God, and now a soldier of Liberty, France will always be the soldier of the ideal.”
That Clemenceau quotation was used, word-for-word, by Fillon at his April rally.
Le Pen’s campaign manager, David Rachline, played down plagiarism accusations, painting her speech as a form of tribute to Fillon. The references were “appreciated, including by all of Fillon’s supporters,” Rachline told France 2 television.
Opinion polls predict that Macron will beat Le Pen on 7 May, with Macron forecast to win about 60% of the votes.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/may/02/marine-le-pen-francois-fillon-phrases-may-day-speech
Florian Philippot, the deputy leader of Le Pen’s Front National party, said the party “completely owned up” to the fact that the speech resembled one made by Fillon a month ago. The similarities were mocked by her opponents on social media on Monday night.
Analysis Marine Le Pen's party upbeat amid complaints of lethargy on the left
Even on May Day, as anti-Front National marches took place, unions that once held firm against Jean-Marie Le Pen were split
Read morePhilippot told Radio Classique that Le Pen’s speech was a “nod-and-a-wink” to Fillon’s earlier discourse in order to “launch a real debate” concerning French identity.
French media highlighted the similarities between Le Pen’s speech at her rally north of Paris on 1 May and one by Fillon given on 15 April, before he was knocked out of the presidential contest.
Le Pen – who faces the centrist frontrunner Emmanuel Macron in a final runoff on 7 May – spoke of France’s long and proud history and the country’s roots in western Europe.
AdvertisementLe Pen mentioned France’s “three maritime borders” with the English Channel, North Sea and the Atlantic. That same phrase was also used by Fillon.
Le Pen described France’s borders and ties with “Italy, our sister” – again a phrase used in Fillon’s April speech.
She also used a quote from the early 20th-century French prime minister Georges Clemenceau: “Once a soldier of God, and now a soldier of Liberty, France will always be the soldier of the ideal.”
That Clemenceau quotation was used, word-for-word, by Fillon at his April rally.
Le Pen’s campaign manager, David Rachline, played down plagiarism accusations, painting her speech as a form of tribute to Fillon. The references were “appreciated, including by all of Fillon’s supporters,” Rachline told France 2 television.
Opinion polls predict that Macron will beat Le Pen on 7 May, with Macron forecast to win about 60% of the votes.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/may/02/marine-le-pen-francois-fillon-phrases-may-day-speech
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