Maréchal-Le Pen is also closer to the party’s founder, her grandfather and Marine Le Pen’s father Jean-Marie Le Pen. “This will create a huge disappointment ... Marion represented a hope for the future for many FN voters and activists,” Le Pen senior told Le Figaro, adding that if there was no good explanation, the move amounted to “a desertion”. He said the “history and values” of the Socialist party still lived but the party was “dead. The Socialist presidential candidate, Benoît Hamon, was knocked out in the first round after scoring just 6.4% of the vote. But the party’s first secretary, Jean-Christophe Cambadélis, said it would be “impossible” to remain a Socialist party member and run for office in Macron’s movement.

Source: The Guardian May 09, 2017 17:37 UTC