Post date: Apr 23, 2012 11:46:43 AM
LUXEMBOURG, LUXEMBOURG (APRIL 23, 2012) (EBS - EU Foreign Ministers expressed concern about the rise of extreme right in France where Marine Le Pen's far-right National Front took 18 percent of the votes in the first round of France's presidential election.
EU Foreign Ministers express concern about rise of extreme right in France.
"If one repeats everyday that we must change Schengen, that we must have a strong policy on immigrants, that we must talk about exceptions for France, that adds fuel to the fire of the National Front and that is the reason why I think we really must ask ourselves is this the right policy, because the National Front, what does that mean, it means no Euro and no Europe. And no Euro and no Europe, is the wrong for France and Europe. You have to break that logic, and I hope that things will be clear after the second round," said Luxembourg Foreign Minister Jean Asselborn.
Asselborn made the comments on Monday (April 23) as he arrived to attend an EU Foreign Ministers meeting in Luxembourg. His concerns about a rise of anti-European sentiments were echoed by the Swedish Foreign Minister.
"Not only the far-right, there is also the far-left that tempts to be fairly anti-European as well. I am concerned with the sentiments that we see that are sort of against open societies, against an open Europe, that does worry me, as you said, not only in France, we see it in both the far-right and the far-left," Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt said.
Incumbent French President Nicolas Sarkozy came second in the vote with 27.1 percent of the vote, as his socialist rival Francois Hollande took 28.6 percent.