Although I speak the language, I have no other connection to France and thus, I can’t say I follow French politics too closely. That said, the Hexagon recently had an election in which the Socialist Party earned a majority in its National Assembly—though, much like last year’s Canadian federal election, it’s a young, first-time member of the opposition representing a rural riding who’s caught my eye—and no, this one didn’t spend the campaign in Las Vegas (or Monaco for that matter, which, I suppose might be the French equivalent).
Marion Maréchal-Le Pen, 22, is the youngest parliamentarian in the history of the Fifth Republic, which dates back to 1958. She’s also one of the few women in her role, as the National Assembly is currently 73 per cent male. A law student at l’Université Panthéon-Assas (aka Paris II), she won her rural riding of Vaucluse in the West of France (total population: 127,749) with 42 per cent of the vote, unseating incumbent Jean-Michel Ferrand of the UMP. This victory came despite the fact that her college campus is nearly 700 km from her riding, as per this Google Map. But while Ruth Ellen Brosseau was slinging drinks behind a campus bar, Marion Maréchal-Le Pen was studying for the bar (or whatever they call it in France) on campus. She also speaks perfect French…
Alas, unlike la fameuse députée de Berthier-Maskinongé, Maréchal-Le Pen has political acumen beyond her years. Her grandfather, in fact, was the founder of the Front national, a political party currently led by her aunt, Marine Le Pen. Marion herself has been a member of the Front since her 18th birthday, and is one of two MPs elected under its banner in last weekend’s election—making it, in terms of seat-count, anyways, roughly equivalent to the Green Party. But from a political standpoint, some of the Front’s policies might make Stephen Harper blush. Accused by some of being a fascist party, the Front’s anti-immigrant views, World War II revisionist history and zero-tolerance stance on crime, which includes harsher sentencing, increased prison capacities and re-introducing the death penalty, has earned them some degree of appeal in certain rural areas across the country.
As such, while this photo gallery of the new member for Vaucluse’s third riding doesn’t display the sexy feet tattoos of her Canadian doppelganger, I get the feeling that if Maréchal-Le Pen is inked, she might not wanna show off her body art in Jewish neighbourhoods. But were it not for their diverging beliefs in body modification, amongst other vast political differences, Ruth Ellen and Marion could seemingly be long-lost sisters. I mean, can you tell them apart?
“Well, bonjour to you, too!”
