Le Pen loses fight for secret backing

Marine Le Pen, leader of France’s far-right National Front, suffered a rebuff in her presidential campaign on the 21 February 2012 when the country’s Constitutional Council rejected her appeal to keep secret the names of elected officials needed to validate a candidate’s entry into the race.

Ms Le Pen, who was running in third place in the opinion polls had complained bitterly that a rule forcing the publication of the names of those endorsing candidates had left her struggling to reach the total of 500 elected backers required to qualify for the ballot.

ESO: Background information: National Front hopes to oust Sarkozy http://www.europeansources.info/record/national-front-hopes-to-oust-sarkozy/

France24, 21.2.12: Court rules Le Pen must reveal backers' names http://www.france24.com/en/20120221-france-marine-le-pen-presidential-election-front-national

The Local.fr, 21.2.12: Brigitte Bardot offers support to Le Pen http://www.thelocal.fr/2640/20120222/

ESO: Background information: French presidential election, 2012 http://www.europeansources.info/record/french-presidential-election-2012/

The Local.fr, 13.3.12: Le Pen gets backing to stay in race http://www.thelocal.fr/2812/20120313/

Deutsche Welle, 13.3.12: Modern image, old ideas http://www.dw.de/dw/article/0,,15807188,00.html

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