Europe 1 with AFP 5:10 p.m., March 13, 2022

A week after joining candidate Éric Zemmour for the presidency, Marion Maréchal distanced herself on Sunday with her shock proposal to ban a first name of foreign origin for future births.

"His sociological analysis is correct (...). From there to transforming it into a political program, I am not in this process", underlined the niece of Marine Le Pen.

Marion Maréchal distanced herself on Sunday from Éric Zemmour's shock proposal, which wants to ban a first name of foreign origin for future births, a week after joining the presidential candidate.

"His sociological analysis is correct. First names are a manifestation of the cultural evolution of a country. From there to transforming that into a political program, it is obvious that, even if I understand the objective, I am not in this approach", underlined the niece of Marine Le Pen invited by the Grand Jury RTL /

Le Figaro

/ LCI.

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“It is not up to the state to impose what the first names of so and so should be”

"The defense of French identity will obviously be done through a restrictive migration policy and a cultural, educational approach".

But "it is not up to the state to impose in the privacy of people what the first names of so and so should be," said the former member of the National Front.

"The question may arise for naturalizations," she added, however.

In his program, Éric Zemmour proposes "by referendum to restore the law on first names for future births by ensuring that the first name comes from French, regional calendars or known characters from ancient and biblical history".

Marion Maréchal recalled that the candidate had assured "that he would not force people to change their first name".

The former MP also explained that she did not subscribe to the words of Éric Zemmour saying that "Islam and Islamism are the same thing", as the candidate repeated again during his debate Thursday with LR Valérie Pécresse.

"To say that Islam has nothing to do with Islamism is a mistake. To say that the two absolutely merge is obviously a mistake too (...) I do not share this formulation", she said. said.

On Éric Zemmour's new campaign poster, the former polemicist appears hand in hand and arms raised with Marion Maréchal, with this slogan: "United for France".