Far-right candidate Marine Le Pen heads into her second-round duel against President Emmanuel Macron with a new poster at the heart of her campaign, plastered with the new slogan “For all French people”. This marks the latest step in her communication strategy aimed at “de-demonising” her party.
Le Pen unveiled on Tuesday her new campaign poster for the April 24 second round. Gone is the previous poster zoomed in on her smiling face, above the line “Stateswoman”. Now we have a similarly smiley photo of her in a bare office setting, with the words “For all French people”.
On the face of it, the new poster is “quite typical” for second-round candidates keen for a “less partisan image enabling them to reach voters beyond their core support”, said Marion Ballet, an expert on political communication at Paris-Saclay University.
Like Macron’s second-round poster, Le Pen’s makes no reference to her party. In both cases, this is a “response” to French people’s “growing mistrust of the political party structure”, Ballet said.
The omission of Le Pen’s name, meanwhile, can be seen as a continuation of her strategy to normalise the National Rally party (Rassemblement National or RN) and rid it of associations with her father Jean-Marie, the party’s founder and leader from 1972 to 2011. She wants to get rid of the “sectarian” image the name Le Pen still conjures amongst large parts of the French electorate, Ballet pointed out.
Affiche du premier tour (à gauche) et affiche du second tour (à droite) de Marine Le Pen, qui avait appelé dès dimanche soir “tous ceux qui n’ont pas voté Emmanuel Macron” à voter pour elle le 24 avril. #Présidentielle2022pic.twitter.com/vP9vWap6xk
So the image says a lot about Le Pen’s bid for political respectability, even if the “substance of her discourse remains xenophobic, however softened it might seem”, said Stéphane Wahnich, a political scientist at Tel Aviv University and author of the book Marine Le Pen prise aux mots : décryptage du nouveau discours frontiste (“Marine Le Pen’s Use of Language: Uncovering the National Front’s New Discourse”).
Le Pen’s new poster also prompts a telling comparison with her poster for her first face-off against Macron in 2017, which showed her sitting on a wooden table with a bookcase in the background – “reminiscent”, as Wahnich puts it, of the august décor of the Élysée Palace.
Such a change shows that she does not want to jump ahead and conjure an image of herself in the president’s grand residence before the vote, Wahnich continued: This time, “she wants to portray a more modest image”.
The way Le Pen sat in that 2017 picture – sitting nonchalantly at that stately desk, with her skirt going up above the knee – was a “rather provocative posture showing her as an unabashedly feminine candidate”, said Jean-Philippe De Oliveira, a specialist in political communication at Grenoble Alpes University.
The new poster is “simpler, without the provocative aspect”, De Oliviera continued. It allows her to “look the part” by “suggesting that she understands what it means to run for the presidency”, he went on.
Marine Le Pen’s campaign poster and slogan for the second round of the 2017 French presidential election is pictured during a press conference for its presentation on April 26, 2017 in Paris.AFP – THOMAS SAMSON
‘Presenting herself as a normal person’
This more humble image also suggests she will give a more competent performance than her greatly criticised showing in the 2017 debate against Macron – when he calmly reeled off economic figures while she took recourse to her notes mid-sentence.
The softer self-projection even extends to the font Le Pen is using on her poster. “She opted for round, relatively thin letters for her slogan, connoting a non-aggressive image,” Wahnich said.
And above all, there is Le Pen’s smile. “It’s a frank smile, unlike the one in the 2017 poster,” said Christian Delporte, a specialist in the history of political communication also at Paris-Sarclay University. “It’s a way of placing her own personality centre stage – because Le Pen thinks she’s succeeded in creating a positive public image in France and that she’s got to capitalise on this in order to reach out beyond her party’s usual voters,” Delporte continued.
This depiction of a breezily smiling woman – with a “simple, modest” air – fits in well with Le Pen’s communication strategy since the start of her campaign, Ballet noted. The RN leader “made her cats into social media stars”, Ballet continued; Le Pen has also made much of Ingrid, her best friend since childhood, living with her as a “housemate”.
Thus Le Pen is “taking the politics out of her message in favour of a bid to present herself as a normal person”, Ballet added.
Le Pen the girl next door is by no means a popular campaign image amongst far-right grandees: “It’s an obvious break with the movement’s traditional approach to communication, which is focused on the image of a strong leader whom people can rally around,” Wahnich put it.
Two messages in one slogan
But it is perfectly natural for Le Pen to prioritise this kind of image: It marks the latest stage in the strategy she’s worked on since taking the reins from her father in 2011 – a strategy based on “de-demonising” her party; the approach encapsulated in its name change replacing Front with Rally in 2018.
“This poster represents the logical conclusion of this de-demonisation strategy,” Wahnlich said. “It’s very different from the message Jean-Marie Le Pen conveyed with his famous ‘Le Pen, le peuple’ posters [used from the late 1980s to the late 1990s] – there’s no longer any reference to the people, so it’s not the same populist phrasing.”
Nevertheless, De Oliveira said, Le Pen’s “For all French people” slogan operates on two levels: “On one level, it’s the most neutral of messages, because all incoming presidents say they will work for all French people. In this light, her choice of words is acceptable to all voters, in particular those who cast their ballots for Jean-Luc Mélenchon [the far-left populist who came a close third in the first round, garnering some 22 percent of the vote].”
At the same time, Wahnich added, there is a subtle but crucial difference with Macron’s slogan, “All of us”: By adding the word “French”, Le Pen is “excluding those she doesn’t see as French”.
New Brunswick voters have elected a Liberal majority government, tossing out the incumbent Progressive Conservatives after six years in power and handing the reins to the first woman ever to lead the province. Liberal Leader Susan Holt spent much of the campaign rolling out proposed fixes for a health-care system racked by a doctor shortage, overcrowded emergency rooms and long wait-times. She promised to open 30 community health clinics across the province by 2028. (Oct. 22, 2024)
Susan Holt has made history in New Brunswick by becoming the first woman to serve as the leader of the province’s Liberal Party, a significant milestone in the province’s political landscape. Holt’s leadership victory signals a new era of representation, gender equality, and change in the region, which has long been dominated by male politicians.
Holt’s journey to the top has been one of perseverance and dedication. Before entering politics, she built a distinguished career in the private sector, where she held numerous leadership positions. Her experience in business development and public policy has equipped her with the skills needed to navigate the complex world of politics.
In a province where women have historically been underrepresented in politics, Holt’s election represents a watershed moment. Women’s involvement in leadership roles has been steadily increasing nationwide, but New Brunswick, like many parts of Canada, has seen slower progress in achieving gender parity. Holt’s rise to the top of the Liberal Party not only shatters a glass ceiling but also serves as an inspiration for future generations of women aiming for political leadership.
As the leader of the New Brunswick Liberal Party, Holt has laid out a vision of inclusivity and progress. Her policies focus on economic development, healthcare reform, environmental sustainability, and addressing social issues that have plagued the province. She has also emphasized the importance of transparent governance and creating opportunities for underrepresented communities, making her platform both modern and forward-thinking.
Holt’s leadership arrives at a time when many voters are calling for change, especially in the face of challenges like economic uncertainty and the need for healthcare improvements. She aims to bring fresh ideas to tackle these issues while ensuring that all citizens, regardless of their background, have a voice in government decisions.
Susan Holt joins the ranks of other trailblazing women across Canada who have led provincial parties and governments. Women like former Alberta Premier Rachel Notley and Ontario’s Kathleen Wynne have paved the way, and now Holt is contributing to this growing legacy of female political leadership in Canada.
Her achievement highlights not only the growing number of women entering politics but also the demand for leaders who can bring diverse perspectives to the table. In a field often dominated by entrenched traditions, Holt’s election is a step toward a more inclusive and representative political landscape in New Brunswick.
Holt’s leadership signals a broader shift in Canadian politics, where more women and diverse voices are gaining prominence. For young women across the country, her rise serves as a powerful reminder that leadership roles are within reach, even in traditionally male-dominated spheres.
With her election, Susan Holt has proven that perseverance, skill, and a vision for change can break even the toughest barriers. Her leadership will not only reshape New Brunswick’s political future but also inspire others across Canada to pursue leadership positions and continue to challenge the status quo.
NDP Leader Carla Beck has two planned campaign events today, starting the day with an availability in Moose Jaw and then later this evening attending an event in the capital with the Regina Medical Staff Association.
Saskatchewan Party Leader Scott Moe, meanwhile, will speak in Prince Albert at the start of Voting Week in the province.
Saskatchewan residents can vote for five days starting today in the lead-up to next week’s provincial election, although polls won’t be open Sunday.
The NDP and the Saskatchewan Party are urging voters to cast their ballots early.
Voters can find their polling stations on their information cards or by visiting the Elections Saskatchewan website.
Chief electoral officer Michael Boda says there are about 810,000 registered voters in Saskatchewan.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 22, 2024.
