PARIS, February 2. France’s far-right National Front party leader Marine Le Pen has announced plans to hold a referendum on France’s exit from the EU and on amending the constitution if she wins the country’s presidential election this spring.
In the interview with Le Monde newspaper published on Thursday, the French politician said the referendum on amending the constitution will take place shortly after the parliamentary elections in June.
Le Pen proposes introducing a ban on creating isolated communities, allowing national priority (limiting employment of foreign workers), protecting and developing historic and cultural heritage, reducing the number of MPs from 577 to 300 and senators from 348 to 200.
The other proposed measures are changing the plurality voting system in the National Assembly (lower house of parliament) to a proportional one, establishing the supremacy of the French law over European agreements and introducing referendums upon people’s initiative.
Le Pen said if she becomes France’s president, she will "immediately go to Brussels to launch talks on returning four sovereignties (to France) concerning currency, law, budget and territory. "Six months after winning the polls, I will hold a referendum on leaving the EU. If I achieve this (from Brussels), I will offer the French citizens to stay. Otherwise, I will advise them to leave the EU," she said.
Crisis in EU
The National Front leader said the discussion on France’s status in the EU or the full exit from the bloc has great prospects now. "We can achieve an agreement on Frexit talks rather quickly. Now there are many disturbances inside the EU, many countries use this to also achieve cancellation of some regulations and accords that hamper their security or economy."
"I won’t be alone at these talks, I’m convinced that I will launch a whole movement: elections will be held across Europe - in the Netherlands, Germany and possibly Italy - the EU is in a limbo now," she said.
If the French support the proposal on leaving the EU, Le Pen plans to immediately cancel all the European regulations that limit France’s sovereignty. "Starting from the moment when the French people say they do not want to remain in the EU anymore, I will introduce all the measures that were banned by the EU."
The French presidential elections will be held in two rounds - on April 23 and on May 7. Opinion polls show that Marine Le Pen will be the front-runner at the polls as more than 25% of voters are ready to support her.
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