Marine Le Pen on Small Business Policy
Marine Le Pen's views on small business policy align closely with her ideology of economic nationalism and prioritizing French interests. Her platform favors an interventionist role for the government to support domestic enterprises against the perceived negative effects of globalization and free trade.
She advocates for policies aimed at re-industrialization and protectionism, which generally benefit domestic producers, including small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), by shielding them from international competition. Her opposition to the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) also indicates a desire to reform EU structures that might disadvantage French producers.
Although specific, granular policies directly targeting small businesses are less prevalent than her stances on immigration or the EU, her economic framework implies a desire to reduce burdens imposed by supranational bodies. The shift away from Frexit suggests a more pragmatic approach to working within, yet reforming, the European framework to better serve French economic actors.
Context
Marine Le Pen's focus on small business policy is secondary to her main themes of sovereignty, immigration control, and opposition to globalization. However, as a key constituency for the National Rally (RN) has historically been the working class and small shopkeepers feeling abandoned by economic shifts, supporting local businesses is a necessary component of her economic platform.
Analysts noted that during her 2012 presidential campaign, the FN vote was associated with "the small shopkeepers who are going under because of the economic crisis and competition from the out-of-town hypermarkets." This context suggests that policies favoring smaller, local entities are intended to directly address the economic anxieties of her core electorate.
Actions Taken
- Voting RecordVoted against the Juncker Commission in July 2014 as an MEP, signaling opposition to the existing EU economic framework.
- Political AllianceFormed the Europe of Nations and Freedom (ENF) group in the European Parliament, intending to reshape EU policy along nationalist and protectionist lines favorable to national economies.
Criticism
The FN vote in 2012 was seen as being driven by 'the small shopkeepers who are going under' due to economic crisis and competition, suggesting her policies must address this sector's vulnerability.
What Others Say
Sociologist Sylvain Crépon analyzed 2012 FN voters, identifying small shopkeepers losing out to hypermarkets as a key demographic for the party's economic appeal.