Marine Le Pen has called for every member of the European Union (EU) to hold its own referendum on whether it should remain within the bloc or leave.
The Front National leader welcomed Britain’s forthcoming vote and said that other nations, including her native France, should follow suit, according to Europe1.
“The British will vote in two months, this is a key moment in European history,” she said.
“I also hope the French will not have to wait too long for a similar opportunity. I hope that all peoples can express themselves on this subject.”
Ms Le Pen made her comments at a conference in Romania organised by the Europe of Nations and Freedom group, a coalition of nationalist parties in the European Parliament.
The group includes Ms Le Pen’s Front National, as well as Italy’s Lega Nord and the Austria Freedom Party, all of which are sceptical of further European integration and have been highly critical of the European elite’s handling of the ongoing migrant crisis.
This is not the same time she has called from France to imitate Britain’s more Eurosceptic stance. While UK Prime Minister David Cameron was in the middle of his “renegotiation” with European leaders earlier this year, Ms Le Pen said France should be given the same opportunity.
“We will enter into negotiations with the European Union over the euro and Schengen. That’s exactly what Great Britain is doing,” she said while discussing her party’s pledge to ditch the euro currency.
Her Eurosceptic, anti-mass immigration tone appears to be proving popular with the French electorate too. She is the top candidate in most polls for the next French presidential elections, well ahead of incumbent President François Hollande.
The Front National also won the highest share of the vote in the first round of France’s regional elections last year, although failed to win control of a single region thanks to the country’s electoral system favouring establishment parties.
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