Le Pen moves closer to presidential bid

Date: 21/03/02

FAR-right MEP Jean-Marie Le Pen was this week edging closer the 500 signatures he requires to run for next month's French presidential election.

Since 1976, candidates for the French presidency have had to back their bids with 500 signatures from elected officials from 30 of France's 96 regions. Candidates have to present their 500 signatures to the Constitutional Council by 2 April.

By yesterday, (20 March) Le Pen, founder of the National Front and a member of the Technical Group of Independent Members (TDI) in the European Parliament, still had 80 names to collect.

However, the MEP said he was 'quietly confident' of getting the required names, despite efforts by Jacques Chirac's Rally for the Republic party to persuade local mayors not to support him.

Le Pen is now third in polls monitoring voting intentions, along with Trotskyite veteran Arlette Laguiller, beating former socialist minister Jean-Pierre Chevènement, who only weeks ago was tipped as France's next 'kingmaker'. In previous elections in 1988 and 1995, Le Pen's populist anti-immigration stance won him around 15 of the vote.

Far-right MEP Jean-Marie Le Pen is close to obtaining the official support he requires to run for the forthcoming French presidential election.