Marine Le Pen’s French Presidential campaign has been boosted after socialist rival Emmanuel Macron cause fury by calling French colonialism a “crime against humanity”.
The 38-year-old, spoke about France’s control of Algeria this week but his remarks have backfired spectacularly and he’s been forced to apologise.
Now he’s all but certainly handed Front National candidate Marine Le Pen an electoral gift as the pair go head to head in the France presidential election in April and May.
The independent En Marche! candidate was in Algeria when he made the comments which were immediately slammed back home.
He was referencing French rule in Algeria which ran for 132 years until it won a bloody war of independence in 1962.
The war started after dissatisfaction emerged in the majority Muslim population who wanted political and economic autonomy from France.
Macron said: “Colonisation is part of French history. It is a crime, a crime against humanity, it is a real barbarism. And it’s part of the past and now we have to look forward and present our apologies regarding those to whom we have committed these acts”.
Almost as soon as he had made the statement Macron was roundly slammed by the French commentariat and the public who were angered at the sentiment.