French 2017 Presidential Vote May Hang on EU Membership Debate
- Hollande says French EU membership will be key in 2017 race
- Polls show Marine Le Pen may lead first round of election
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France’s 2017 presidential election may hinge on a debate about the European Union membership in the aftermath of the U.K. vote to leave the bloc, President Francois Hollande said after Britain’s David Cameron met with European leaders in Brussels.
“We can see that the presidential election will depend on the European issue, not just on the union’s priorities, but on the very presence, the very membership of France in the EU,” the Socialist president said at a press conference in Brussels. “The populists and extremists who call for their countries to leave the EU must now look at the consequences. And the people must know about it, not after they vote, but beforehand.”