This week MFL Panglossia Club hosted a talk by our U6th French linguist Louis R, whose choice of topic “The Rise of the Rassemblement National in France” attracted a large audience of those who are interested in French language, History and Politics.
Louis started by outlining the history of the extreme right in France and the creation of Le Front National by Jean Marie Le Pen in 1972, which undergone its name change to Le Rassemblement National in 2018. He then shared the worrying views on the party of celebrities from different walks of life who experienced either sexism, xenophobia, islamophobia or antisemitism – the very essence of the extreme right. Louis then delved into the pressing socio-economic issues, which the party projects itself as the one who can effectively tackle them: immigration, street insecurities, retirement age and the cost of life. He concluded by expressing his own opinion on the subject of his research and took a host of questions from the audience. Louis spoke twenty minutes in French, demonstrating authentic pronunciation and confidence and we thank him for leading by example.
