Even a Thriving French Shipyard Town Falls Under Le Pen’s Spell
Saint-Nazaire embodies successful globalization — and yet the National Front has found an audience.
The launching ceremony of the MSC Meraviglia giant cruise ship in Saint-Nazaire, western France.
Photographer: Loic Venance/AFP via Getty Images
The heart of Saint-Nazaire’s economy can be seen from almost anywhere in town: The MSC Meraviglia cruise ship towers over the French port from the STX shipyard where it’s being built. The Korean-owned company’s order books are full for the next decade.
With shipyards and aerospace factories booming from export production, Saint-Nazaire embodies successful globalization. This city on the Loire River estuary to the Atlantic, which has tended to vote for leftist parties, is an unlikely place for the fearmongering message of Marine Le Pen, the far-right National Front presidential candidate.