Marine Le Pen in campaign in the overseas "despised"

"Mayotte is living our future. It is a symbol of what we could live tomorrow if we do nothing, and a symbol of the abandonment of the State", estimated Tuesday in front of the press the candidate of National presidential rally, denouncing the "laissez-faire, laissez-faire, laissez-passer" of successive governments in matters of immigration.

Small island located between Madagascar and the East African coast, Mayotte faces strong illegal immigration mainly from the Comoros islands which are only 70 km from its coast.

Migrants borrow makeshift boats, the "kwassa-kwassa", to reach Mayotte, often at the risk of their lives.

On Saturday, five of them perished at sea.

Marine Le Pen will meet with the Mayotte Interests Defense Committee (Codim) on Friday, a group that participated in the 2016 illegal "decasing" movements to expel those he considered illegal, as well as families of victims of insecurity and violence, for which she accuses the "bands of foreign migrants".

Social crisis

In addition to immigration, against which the candidate proposes a nationwide referendum, Marine Le Pen also wants to tackle the "unworthy precariousness" of the Ultramarins who "suffer from a higher cost of living than in metropolitan France. ".

In this regard, as in metropolitan France, it promises to lower the VAT on petrol, electricity and gas but also to reform the dock dues, a tax on overseas products which finances the municipalities.

By insisting on purchasing power, it also differentiates itself from its rival Eric Zemmour, who is more liberal than she economically and socially.

The candidate of the National Rally (RN) for the presidential election Marine Le Pen on December 2, 2021 in Paris JULIEN DE ROSA AFP

On this same theme, the acting president of RN Jordan Bardella went to Martinique at the beginning of December, affected like Guadeloupe by a health and social crisis, born at the start of the refusal of the vaccination obligation for caregivers and firefighters.

The RN defends vaccine "freedom" and is opposed to the health pass.

However, Marine Le Pen "does not think that a statutory modification is likely to solve the problems" of the Antilles and judges the Minister of Overseas Sébastien Lecornu "beside the plate" when he evokes the possibility of a greater autonomy of Guadeloupe.

In search, like Eric Zemmour, of sponsorships for his candidacy, Marine Le Pen will show in Mayotte the support of an elected member of the centrist MDM party, and will be received in Reunion on Monday by the mayor of La Plaine-des-Palmistes, Johnny Payet , the day of the "Fèt Kaf" which celebrates the abolition of slavery on the island.

"Despised"

She will also be received in Mayotte as in 2016 by the Grand Cadi, Hamada Saanda Mahamoudou, religious (Muslim) representative of the island, again marking his difference from Eric Zemmour for whom Islam is "not compatible with the France".

Judging these territories "abandoned" and "despised", Marine Le Pen promised them on Tuesday a "central place" if she is elected, proposing once again to devote to it a "great Minister of State" and a program law for 15 year.

The candidate of the National Rally (RN) for the presidential election Marine Le Pen on November 4, 2021 in Mulhouse SEBASTIEN BOZON AFP

For the far-right candidate, "it is a question of adding up" the votes while "the competition is getting tougher with Eric Zemmour".

Reunion, with its 800,000 inhabitants, "constitutes the largest reservoir" overseas, underlines the guest researcher at Cevipof Christiane Rafidinarivo.

"She has arguments on Comorian immigration or the security issue, which is still not resolved" and which "generates" more and more migrations from Mayotte to Reunion, "she adds.

While the former president of the FN Jean-Marie Le Pen has never been able to campaign in the West Indies, his daughter, champion of "demonization", came first in eight overseas territories out of eleven in the European elections of 2019. After progressing to the presidential election of 2017, where she obtained in the second round more than 40% of the votes in three territories, including Mayotte.

© 2021 AFP