French far-right Rassemblement National party leader Marine Le Pen. Photo: Reuters
French far-right Rassemblement National party leader Marine Le Pen. Photo: Reuters
French far-right Rassemblement National party leader Marine Le Pen. Photo: Reuters
French far-right Rassemblement National party leader Marine Le Pen. Photo: Reuters

France's Le Pen proposes referendum on immigration if elected president


Soraya Ebrahimi
  • English
  • Arabic

French far-right leader Marine Le Pen said on Monday that if she were made president in the 2022 election, she would call a referendum proposing drastic limits on immigration.

Ms Le Pen told France 2 TV the referendum would propose strict criteria for entering French territory and acquiring nationality, and give French citizens priority access to jobs, and social housing and benefits.

"The referendum will propose a complete draft bill that will aim to drastically regulate immigration," said the candidate of the Rassemblement National party in the April elections for president.

Referendums are allowed under the French constitution but are rarely called. The last major referendum was in 2005, when French people voted against France ratifying a European Constitution.

In 2017, Ms Le Pen made it to the second round of the presidential election but was defeated by centrist Emmanuel Macron, who won more than 66 per cent of the vote.

Mr Macron has not yet said whether he will stand for re-election, but opinion polls show him and Ms Le Pen as the likely two candidates to make it through to the second round, with the incumbent favoured as the eventual winner.

Ms Le Pen's chances of making it to the run-off could be jeopardised by a possible presidential run by right-wing talk-show host Eric Zemmour, who could split the far-right vote and allow a centre-right challenger to face Mr Macron.

"I'm not worried," she said. "I am convinced the French people will place us against Emmanuel Macron because we defend very different models of society.

"He stands for unregulated globalisation, I defend the nation, which remains the best structure to defend our identity, security, freedom and prosperity."

Pharaoh's curse

British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.

The specs

AT4 Ultimate, as tested

Engine: 6.2-litre V8

Power: 420hp

Torque: 623Nm

Transmission: 10-speed automatic

Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)

On sale: Now

Global state-owned investor ranking by size

1.

United States

2.

China

3.

UAE

4.

Japan

5

Norway

6.

Canada

7.

Singapore

8.

Australia

9.

Saudi Arabia

10.

South Korea

WHAT IS GRAPHENE?

It was discovered in 2004, when Russian-born Manchester scientists Andrei Geim and Kostya Novoselov were experimenting with sticky tape and graphite, the material used as lead in pencils.

Placing the tape on the graphite and peeling it, they managed to rip off thin flakes of carbon. In the beginning they got flakes consisting of many layers of graphene. But when they repeated the process many times, the flakes got thinner.

By separating the graphite fragments repeatedly, they managed to create flakes that were just one atom thick. Their experiment led to graphene being isolated for the very first time.

In 2010, Geim and Novoselov were awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics. 

GAC GS8 Specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo

Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm

Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm

Transmission: 8-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh149,900

Key facilities
  • Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
  • Premier League-standard football pitch
  • 400m Olympic running track
  • NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
  • 600-seat auditorium
  • Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
  • An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
  • Specialist robotics and science laboratories
  • AR and VR-enabled learning centres
  • Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
What is tokenisation?

Tokenisation refers to the issuance of a blockchain token, which represents a virtually tradable real, tangible asset. A tokenised asset is easily transferable, offers good liquidity, returns and is easily traded on the secondary markets. 

The burning issue

The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.

Part three: an affection for classic cars lives on

Read part two: how climate change drove the race for an alternative 

Read part one: how cars came to the UAE

Karwaan

Producer: Ronnie Screwvala

Director: Akarsh Khurana

Starring: Irrfan Khan, Dulquer Salmaan, Mithila Palkar

Rating: 4/5

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Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
  • Priority access to new homes from participating developers
  • Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
  • Flexible payment plans from developers
  • Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
  • DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
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Updated: September 27, 2021, 10:08 PM`