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A Nationalistic Rhetoric of Marine Le Pen

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A Nationalistic Rhetoric of Marine Le Pen Immigration and the Revival of Nationalist Sentiments in France: A Nationalistic Rhetoric of Marine Le Pen. Nkenganyi N‟Mandela Atabong Master‟s Thesis Major subject: Political Science Master‟s programme: Cultural Policy Department of Social Sciences and Philosophy University of Jyväskylä Spring 2018 SUMMARY Immigration and the Revival of Nationalist Sentiments in France: A Nationalistic Rhetoric of Marine Le Pen Nkenganyi N‟Mandela Atabong Master‟s Thesis Major subject: Political Science Masters programme in Cultural Policy Department of Social Sciences and Philosophy University of Jyväskylä Instructor: Mikko Jakonen Spring 2018 Pages: 98 pages + appendices This literary work investigates the rhetoric of Marine Le Pen and how she exploits the worsening immigration crisis to reawaken France‟s nationalist spirit and to booster the Front National‟s electoral support as seen in her speeches and electoral results respectively. My data is a careful selection of five spheeches of Marine Le Pen between 2011-2017 from the National Front‟s official website. This study aims to answer research question as to how the rising number of immigrants is portrayed in Marine Le Pen‟s rhetoric. This study also seeks to uncover how the immigration crisis is portrayed in her speeches and what kinds of economic, political and socio-cultural impacts those speeches have. The methodoly consists of rhetorical analysis of Le Pen‟s speeches under political, economic and socio-cultural themes. Based on the analysis of my data, the results prove that Marine Le uses the immigration crisis in her speeches as a sour outcome of globalization and presents herself as the sole candidate that represents the interest of the French people. Through this rhetoric – which she has rebranded to suit republican values through the dédiablisation strategy, she has succeeded in making her rhetoric more acceptable and the National Front party more mainstream. Key words: Immigration, nationalism, National Front, Marine Le Pen. 1 TABLE OF CONTENTS Ackwoledgement …………………………………………………………………….…… 4 Dedication ……………………………………………………………………………….. 5 Table of figures ……………………………………………………………….................... 6 Note on translation ……………………………………………………………………….. 7 1. Introduction …………………………………………………………………………. 8 1.1 Contextual background of the study ……………………………………….............. 8 1.2 Research motivation ……………………………………………………………….. 9 1.3 The Front National rhetoric: previous research ……………………………………. 10 1.4 Research questions …………………………………………………………………. 15 1.5 Organization of the study ………………………………………………………….. 15 2. Context ……………………………………………………………………………….. 17 2.1 populist politics ……………………………………………………………………. 17 2.2 Rise of right wing movements in Central Europe in review ……………………….. 18 2.3 History of French Nationalism ……..………………………………………………. 22 2.4 The Front National …………………………………………………………………. 23 2.5 Marine Le Pen ……………………………………………………………………... 25 2.6 The refugee crisis …………………………………………………………………… 28 2.7 Racial tensions ……………………………………………………………………… 29 3. Theoritical and conceptual framework ……………………………………………... 32 3.1 The nature of migration ……………………………………………………………. 32 3.2 Nationalism ……………………………………………………………................... 38 3.3 Globalization ……………………………………………………………………….. 41 3.4 Social identity theory ……………………………………………………………….. 42 3.4.1 Cultural identity ………………………………………………………………... 44 3.4.2 Cosmopolitan identity ………………………………………………………….. 46 3.5 Multiculturalism …………………………………………………………………... 47 3.6 Minorities ……………………………………………………………….................... 48 4. Methodology …………………………………………………………………………… 50 4.1 Description of data …………………………………………………………………. 50 4.2 Rhetorical analysis …………………………………………………………………. 51 4.3 Canons of rhetoric ………………………………………………………………….. 53 4.4 Main arguments ……………………………………………………………………. 56 5. Analysis ………………………………………………………………………………... 59 5.1 Economic analysis ………………………………………………………………….. 61 5.2 Political analysis …………………………………………………………………… 64 5.3 Socio-cultural analysis ……………………………………………………………... 72 6. General discussion ……………………………………………………………………. 86 2 7. Conclusion …………………………………………………………………………….. 91 8. References …………………………………………………………………………… 92 9. Appendices ……………………………………………………………………………. 99 Appendix 1 ……………………………………………………………………………... 99 Appendix 2 ……………………………………………………………………………... 115 Appendix 3 ……………………………………………………………………………... 117 Appendix 4 ……………………………………………………………………………... 127 Appendix 5 ……………………………………………………………………………... 131 3 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT I will seize this opportunity to express my overwhelming joy for the realization of this work and my degree as a whole. It is most obvious that this work would not have been realized without the support of my beloved family, course mates and the entire staff of the Department of Social Sciences and Philosophy of the University of Jyväskylä to whom I hereby express my sincere gratitude. I reserve special words of thanks to my benefactor (Mr. Fonya Peter A.). Lastly, my sincere thanks to my supervisor Dr. Mikko Jakonen for his assistance and for his intellectual support during this period. Thank you once more. 4 DEDICATION This literary work/research project has been dedicated to my beloved sister; Asongu Delphine Atabong who has gone to rest in the peace of the Lord and forever remains in my heart. May her poor soul rest in the perfect peace of the Lord. We hope to meet again someday in paradise. 5 Table of figures Rise of the National Front in French elections…………………………………...…………..72 Asylum applications made in France 2008-2016………………………………………….…78 6 Note on translation In reality, this academic work involves a rhetorical analysis of purely French language content but is rather undertaken with an English language approach. However, there are some circumstances of direct French language quotation of content. Still in others, content was directly translated to English by the author. I must mention the fact that some English language quotations have been used in this work without necessarily providing the original French version. With fewer alternatives available, these English language translations have been considered by the author and reproduced in this project. In the first two cases, the original French version is added in the footnote for the better understanding by French readers. Some words are exceptionally left in the body text but are italicized and defined when first used. 7 1.1 INTRODUCTION 1.1 Contextual background of the study The European Union‟s (EU) political structure is undergoing its most radical transformation since the Treaty of Rome which created its predecessor (EEC) in 1957 was signed. In the last decade, populist parties have slowly but steadily garnered support, entering parliaments in some EU states, still in others, they have taken over control of government like in Austria. My objective in this research therefore is not to discuss the broad subject of modern nations either as interdependent states through globalization or as conservative sovereign states. Neither am I going to analyze the many varieties of nationalism. With the proliferation of new states after the end of colonization in the 1950s and even later after the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, nationalism has been widespread and is even threatening further with growing skepticism about the influence of globalization in undermining states‟ sovereignty. It is therefore of interest to examine one particular case with a unique catapulting factor (immigration) as it may seem: for the ordeal France is undergoing may serve a lesson for other nations as well. It is worth noting that the sovereign state is still the chief political actor on the world stage, but paradoxically, this sovereignty is being eroded slowly but steadily by diverse contemporary economic and socio-political factors - the reawakening of nationalism is just eminent. In this research, I analyze the current migration crisis as one of the key components that the National Front under Marine Le Pen is basing its rhetoric on and that is directly influencing the resurgence of nationalist sentiments in France. The political management of the continoues migration flow; I argue, has already changed the political debate, the political structure (bi- partisan) and the immigration policy of France and is mounting even greater pressure on existing democratic political institutions in other EU states. This unprecedented migration flow has resulted in an unprecedented surge not just in populist rhetoric but also in populist ascension to political power in other EU countries that had once been considered as consolidated liberal democracies. 8 It is however difficult to discuss French immigration policy without relating it to the European Union and more importantly to the signatory states of The Schengen Agreement of 1985. This Schengen Agreement abolished many of the EU's internal borders, enabling passport-free movement across most of the bloc. In this regard therefore, migration within the internal borders of France is not wholly determined by the French immigration policy but the larger EU immigration policy that governs its external borders thereby limiting the territorial sovereignty of France. 1.2 Research motivation I am particularly motivated to research about this topic not because it has received little academic or political attention but because it is a hot and contemporary issue. While considerable literature has been researched on the impact and possible correlation between immigration and labor market outcomes in Europe at large, there is still more work being done to
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