Debate: Xenophobia

Marine Le Pen: My name is Marie Le Pen and I am from the

extreme- right wing.

Angela Merkel: I’m Angela Merkel. I´m a German former politician

and scientist who served as Chancellor of Germany and ex-leader
of the center right party Christian Democratic Union.

Marie Le pen: Angela do you believe that immigrants should have

the same rights as your native citizens ?

Angela: Yes, they should. From the moment they legalize

themselves, they are people like us, the natives. They should have
the same rights and possibilities as everyone else. They are only
human after all. When I was chanceler I opened my bordes to every
immigrant that ran away from wars or just people that wanted a
better life, as for example, Sirians. As I said earlier in an interview in
Berlin, "Wherever there are gaps, we have to act." These people
deserve all the basic living conditions and so much more.

Marine Le Pen: In my point of view immigrants should be

distinguished from the native born French, from the access to
housing, employment and benefits. In my judgment citizenship
should only be attributed to people who have earned it and not
everyone who wants to exchange countries.

Angela: That people that want to exchange countries sometimes

are forced to do it because of numerous factors such as the war
that started and destroyed everything they knew as home. Or even
worse, there are women , and men too, who see their freedom of
expression repressed and seek for a place where they can be free
and succeed in life. Put yourself in their position, many without the
right to education and others assaulted and violently raped. For
example, plenty of women and children used it as an object solely
of pleasure. Everyone deserves a helping hand regardless of where
they were born.

Marine: Those factors are indeed a good argument for them to

exchange countries but as I said in a past interview “the number of
foreigners is so large that it would change the composition and
identity of the French people”. I preserve the image of France and I
don’t think that foreigners will make my country better, they take
employment opportunities from the natives. My father once said
“Immigrants will stay with you, eat your soup and sleep with your
wife…” that is the image that we have from immigrants.

Angela: The identity of the French people is known worldwide, and

you can even say that you will never be forgotten. It is up to the
French natives to pass on their heritage to future generations.
Immigrants do not come out of their country with the aim of
changing a certain culture, much less with the aim of replacing
someone or someone else's family member. With all due respect
it's ridiculous to think that they will do that. Mostly we're talking
about people who are looking for a little light at the end of the
tunnel. And yes many of them help the country's economy. In fact,
the generational renewal index in France is high and insouciante,
different from other European countries, but much of this is due to
immigrants.

Marine: With all respect, you only say those things about
immigrants because you close your eyes to the things they do in
your country, how do you explain the existence of nazi ideals
brought for foreigners ? Immigrants are associated with crime and
horrendous acts. For example black people are associated with
robberies, with killing and for being violent.Those are not the people
that I want in my country. Islamic people are know for islamic
terrorism since the attack on the world trade centre. In my opinion
the women who wear burka or Hijab shouldn't wear those in public
because it’s hard to recognise them if they commit any crime in my
borders.

Angela: The thought that certain events are based on ethnicity or

skin color is ignorant coming from a person with so much
knowledge as a politician. This whole association of crimes with
different cultures is completely wrong. There are black skinned
people as well as light skinned people who have committed violent
crimes, like the French serial killer Michel Fourniret. The jihadists or
the Taliban are a percentage of these people and also the reason
for the run away of many women, children and men. In my view I
agree with you on the Islamic dress code and as I said in another
debate "(...) a fully covered woman has little chance to integrate".

Marine: I still don’t agree with the entrance of strange people and
non french people in my country.

11º LH:Inês Cortiços, nº7; Ana Gerardo, nº18.