Amid all the drama of the French presidential election campaign, Marine Le Pen’s withdrawal from another presidency, as head of her far-right party, was still a moment of pure theatre.
She has not gone altogether. It is a “break”, she explained on prime time television, intended to show her desire to reach “all the French people”.
The sub-text is clear. Behind the inclusive words, Ms Le Pen is distancing herself from the toxic connotations of her brand, the Front National, before the decisive final round of voting on May 7. She entered the final lap well behind the centrist Emmanuel Macron in opinion polls and general expectation. And she knew the Front National remains synonymous in many minds with sinister views on Muslims, Jews, racial harmony and – in the case of some attached to the party – a sense of regret about the outcome of the Second World War.
But there is ample reason to believe Mr Macron’s support is as volatile as hers. He can speak well but lacks Ms Le Pen’s punch. She is gaining ground and no rational observer completely rules out the possibility of a rally of opinion in her favour.
Nor can it any longer be said that Ms Le Pen appeals only to brainless white ruffians. In one area of the Mediterranean coast, I have come across a self-employed plumber, a highly intelligent physiotherapist and even Maghrebin council workers who will or may vote for her.
But someone has clearly advised Ms Le Pen that to beat Mr Macron, she must do still more to consolidate her largely successful attempts to detoxify a movement that has often resembled a fascist mob.
That someone, however, was not her estranged father Jean-Marie Le Pen, whose expulsion from the party he created was orchestrated by her after he repeated a description of Nazi gas chambers as a mere detail of war.
Mr Le Pen, who bizarrely continues as the Front National’s honorary president, supports his daughter but feels she has been altogether too timid, too intent on de-demonising the party.
But is there substance to his daughter’s charm offensive? Has she really changed from when her anti-Muslim, anti-Semitic father, also an apologist for France’s wartime collaborationist government, could say there was little between them. She probably has, though not enough.
Ms Le Pen demands to be treated as a politician like any other, a respectable champion of all French people, not just some. Her protectionist policies may seem like the economics of the madhouse, but they please many in a country beset with unemployment and austerity.
Party members who openly voice racist comments these days face expulsion. Ms Le Pen even insists she has no problem with Islam, though her complaint about its “visibility”–prayers spilling into the streets, the wearing of face-covering headwear – at least borders on insult for France’s large Muslim population. For many, the leopard’s spots are intact.
In one respect, the two candidates are similar. Neither is as strong as previous presidents on foreign affairs.
Ms Le Pen is anti-European Union and soft on Russia and the Syrian president Bashar Al Assad. Mr Macron is pro-EU but his position on Syria has wavered. He now talks of possible international military intervention if, as the French government asserts, Assad’s regime is found responsible for the chemical weapons attack that killed 89 people in Khan Sheikhoun.
In truth, the choice has been whittled down to two from 11 candidates, none inspiring great confidence and some causing varying degrees of worry or uncertainty.
The words each utters in the final week of campaigning will determine whether France faces an uncertain time, or a potentially frightening one.
Colin Randall is a former executive editor of The National
RESULTS
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Red Joan
Director: Trevor Nunn
Starring: Judi Dench, Sophie Cookson, Tereza Srbova
Rating: 3/5 stars
Scoreline
UAE 2-1 Saudi Arabia
UAE Mabkhout 21’, Khalil 59’
Saudi Al Abed (pen) 20’
Man of the match Ahmed Khalil (UAE)
'How To Build A Boat'
Jonathan Gornall, Simon & Schuster
Abu Dhabi card
5pm: Handicap (TB) Dh100,000 2,400m
5.30pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) Dh 70,000 2,200m
6pm: Abu Dhabi Fillies Classic Prestige (PA) Dh110,000 1,400m
6.30pm: Abu Dhabi Colts Classic Prestige (PA) Dh110,000 1,400m
7pm: Handicap (PA) Dh85,000 1,600m
7.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 1,600m
The National selections:
5pm: Valcartier
5.30pm: AF Taraha
6pm: Dhafra
6.30pm: Maqam
7pm: AF Mekhbat
7.30pm: Ezz Al Rawasi
The%20Little%20Mermaid%20
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Rob%20Marshall%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EHalle%20Bailey%2C%20Jonah%20Hauer-King%2C%20Melissa%20McCarthy%2C%20Javier%20Bardem%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2%2F5%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Biography
Favourite Meal: Chicken Caesar salad
Hobbies: Travelling, going to the gym
Inspiration: Father, who was a captain in the UAE army
Favourite read: Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki and Sharon Lechter
Favourite film: The Founder, about the establishment of McDonald's
Tax authority targets shisha levy evasion
The Federal Tax Authority will track shisha imports with electronic markers to protect customers and ensure levies have been paid.
Khalid Ali Al Bustani, director of the tax authority, on Sunday said the move is to "prevent tax evasion and support the authority’s tax collection efforts".
The scheme’s first phase, which came into effect on 1st January, 2019, covers all types of imported and domestically produced and distributed cigarettes. As of May 1, importing any type of cigarettes without the digital marks will be prohibited.
He said the latest phase will see imported and locally produced shisha tobacco tracked by the final quarter of this year.
"The FTA also maintains ongoing communication with concerned companies, to help them adapt their systems to meet our requirements and coordinate between all parties involved," he said.
As with cigarettes, shisha was hit with a 100 per cent tax in October 2017, though manufacturers and cafes absorbed some of the costs to prevent prices doubling.
What can you do?
Document everything immediately; including dates, times, locations and witnesses
Seek professional advice from a legal expert
You can report an incident to HR or an immediate supervisor
You can use the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation’s dedicated hotline
In criminal cases, you can contact the police for additional support
Women%E2%80%99s%20Asia%20Cup
%3Cp%3ESylhet%2C%20Bangladesh%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EUAE%20results%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3ELost%20to%20Sri%20Lanka%20by%2011%20runs%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EUAE%20fixtures%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3ETue%20Oct%204%2C%20v%20India%3Cbr%3EWed%20Oct%205%2C%20v%20Malaysia%3Cbr%3EFri%20Oct%207%2C%20v%20Thailand%3Cbr%3ESun%20Oct%209%2C%20v%20Pakistan%3Cbr%3ETue%20Oct%2011%2C%20v%20Bangladesh%3C%2Fp%3E%0A