Le Pen's party faces ex-HQ seizure

Creditors of France’s far-right Front National (FN) say they may take possession its former headquarters if debts of 5.2 million euros are not repaid by September. Party leader Marine Le Pen insisted on Wednesday that the debt will be paid.

Reuters

The Société Générale bank announced Tuesday that it had instituted proceedings for the seizure of the party’s former headquarters, often referred to as le paquebot (the cruise ship) because of its shape, in the Paris suburb of St Cloud.

The debt dates back to the 2007 general election when the party’s poor showing - at 4.29 per cent its worst ever - reduced its entitlement to state funding. A share of parties’ election expenses are covered by the French exchequer, according to the proportion of votes that they have won.

The party has moved its HQ to less expensive premises in Nanterre – also near Paris – and has been trying to sell the St Cloud building for two years, with no success so far.

Le Pen, who took over the party leadership from her father earlier this year, assured Europe 1 Wednesday that the debt will be paid and that the party will resolve its financial difficulties “very soon”.

The news comes as the party is boasting that good results in the first round of regional elections last weekend put it in a favourable position for 2012’s presidential election.

Le Pen, who was put in second position in two recent pre-election opinion polls, told Europe 1 that she will fund her election campaign “like everybody else” by taking out a loan and, that if the banks say no, will ask the French people to help her.