Zemmour, French far-right pundit, launches presidential run
ABC News
A far-right former TV pundit with multiple hate-speech convictions has officially entered the race for France’s presidency
PARIS -- A far-right former TV pundit with multiple hate-speech convictions officially entered the race for France's presidency on Tuesday and warned his supporters that they will likely be called racists for backing his anti-immigration and anti-Islam views that have already shaken up the election campaign.
The launch of Eric Zemmour's run for the presidency made official a candidacy that had been gathering steam for months before it then stumbled of late — notably after the 63-year-old raised a middle finger at a woman who did likewise to him over the weekend.
That flash of temper — which Zemmour later acknowledged on Twitter was “very inelegant" — cast fresh doubt on the temperament and electability of the author and former journalist who has polled in low double digits since September despite having no hands-on political experience. Zemmour has drawn comparisons in France to former U.S. President Donald Trump because of his rabble-rousing populism and ambitions of making the jump from the small screen to national leadership.
Name-dropping Joan of Arc, Napoléon Bonaparte, Gen. Charles de Gaulle and others who shaped France's history, Zemmour announced his candidacy for the April election in a pre-recorded video, reading from notes and speaking into a large microphone. The pose evoked imagery of radio addresses that De Gaulle famously delivered during World War II, urging France to rally against Nazi Germany.
