IT IS market-day in this red-brick former mining town in northern France. Stall-holders wrap up fat slices of rabbit terrine, or flog discounted hairspray and nail varnish. Outside the town hall, workmen are putting up wooden chalets for the Christmas market. Inside, the National Front (FN) mayor has installed a Nativity scene with life-size figures. French public buildings are meant to be strictly secular, but Steeve Briois insists he is just bringing back a French “tradition”. Last year he was elected mayor with 50.3% of the vote. On December 6th in the same town, Marine Le Pen, the FN leader running for president of the surrounding region, got 59%.
Ms Le Pen heads into the second round of regional elections on December 13th on the back of resounding first-round scores. The far-right FN came top countrywide with 28%, beating its previous national record of 25% in European elections last year, and more than doubling its result in regional elections in 2010. Her party finished first in six of France’s 13 regions, including some, such as Burgundy or the Loire valley, with no strong history of supporting the FN. In both Nord-Pas-de-Calais-Picardie,…
