According to an email to supporters, Eric Zemmour, a French Far-Right Media pundit will declare Tuesday that he’ll be running for President in the next election.
Zemmour (63) has dominated the Pre-election Calendar with his strident speech and knocked Marine Le Pen out as Emmanuel Macron’s challenger.
The married father of three has made headlines since September for his dramatic political debut. He pointed a gun at a reporter and threw his middle finger at a woman heckler.
This month, he was also tried in Paris. He had been convicted of spreading racism and two prior convictions.
The email to supporters sent late Monday night said that Eric Zemmour would announce his candidacy to all of us, “Tomorrow at noon, Tuesday,”
Eric Zemmour (pictured in Marseille, Saturday, 63), has dominated pre-election with his strident language, and knocked Marine Le Pen out as Emmanuel Macron’s challenger.
Married Zemmour attempted unsuccessfully to get the news that he was expecting a baby together with Sarah Knafo, his 28-year old PA (photo taken in Marseille with Zemmour).
Zemmour faces Marine Le Pen, the far-right leader of Rassemblement National (right), in the race to be elected president. They are both looking to replace the centrist French President Emmanuel Macron.
Zemmour previously spoke of his ambitions but the official announcement will show that he is confident that he has enough money and support to defeat Macron in the next election.
A member from his entourage said to AFP that a message for the French would be broadcast by our social network at approximately noon on Tuesday. This will take place before Zemmour appears on TF1 television.
His circle of friends began to use the hashtag #Zemmourcandidat for their tweets.
His first campaign meeting is scheduled for Sunday in Paris. Anti-fascists as well as unions pledge to organize a Silence Zemmour protest at 1pm.
After suing Closer magazine, he was able to reveal that Trump is the French Trump.
The magazine published the headline “He’s going be a dad in 2022” after the privacy request was rejected by the court.
Closer published a photograph of Zemmour in an October issue. It also featured Mylene Chichportich (his wife), who he wed in 1982.
They have three children, and journalists claimed that there is public interest to know more about their relationship.
Knafo may also be seen at Zemmour’s side. She has been frequently pictured at campaign events. This could give him a more virile image.
Zemmour, acid-tongued, hopes that his radical pitch for curbing immigration in France and Islam in France will be appealing to conservatives living in a country marred by racial tensions and religious conflicts.
He also promoted a conspiracy theory that was supported by white supremacists called “the great replacement theory” which suggests that native Europeans were being replaced by migrants from Africa and/or the Middle East.
Closer was unable to publish details about Eric Zemmour’s affair with Sarah Knafo (28) and he took legal action. The privacy request was rejected by the court. On Friday, Closer ran the headline “He’s going be a dad in 2022”
Paris Match magazine September cover. Eric Zemmour embraces Sarah Knafo, his aide as they swim in a sea.
Eric Zemmour (L), a French Far-Right Media pundit, and Sarah Knafo(R) are seen during a Paris photo shoot on April 22, 2021.
He wrote that “The great substitute is not a myth or a conspiracy but it’s a relentless process,” in his most recent book entitled “France has Not Said its Final Word”.
According to a survey, 61% of French respondents believed it would happen.
Zemmour was briefly the top-ranked rival in opinion polls to Macron. But, Zemmour’s popularity has declined significantly over the past month.
A new survey found that Zemmour finished third in the first round at between 14-15 percent and 2 to 3 points less than the start of November. The research by the Ifop Group published Sunday in the Journal du Dimanche.
Macron was 25 percent ahead of him, while Le Pen was 19-20 percent behind.
The survey showed that these results would see them both progress to a second round runoff, which Macron would win, if it were now.
Analysts emphasize that there is uncertainty in the outcome, with Republicans on the right announcing their nominee Saturday while many other voters still to be decided.
For months, pundits speculated about Zemmour’s move to become a presidential wildcard.
He and Le Pen could possibly eliminate each other, splitting the far right vote on April 10th. However, no polls indicate that is possible.
After a trip to Marseille in southern France on November 27, 2021, Eric Zemmour, a French far-right media pundit, gestures at a woman who has insulted him.
On social media, Zemmour was seen pointing a rifle at journalists while holding a sniper gun. He didn’t make any safety checks. Pictured: Still grabs from a video of the incident a Paris gun fair showing Zemmour looking down the scope of the rifle before pointing it at the press on Wednesday
Le Pen seems more optimistic than before, saying that the dust is now starting to settle after a media storm by her rival. Her opponent is the son from Algerian Jewish migrants.
According to her, ‘I believe he’ll finish below 10%’, she said to AFP in November 20.
She said that Zemmour might ‘end up being a stroke luck’. He makes my idea more realistic and feasible by the way he displays violence and cruelty.
The amateur historian is not only facing declining polling numbers but has also been experiencing difficulties over the past few weeks.
He was seen giving the middle finger to protester at his car over the weekend.
‘Real deep!’ He said it overheard, making headlines across the nation. This led to suspicions that he could have alienated his core supporters, the conservative Catholic elderly voters.
He has been criticized by other far-right leaders who have distanced their support in recent weeks. The campaign team is said be fraught with infighting and led by young, inexperienced activists.
Pierre Meurin, an ex-campaign aide, said Monday: “I do not support this candidacy that is corrupted by despair.”
“You must offer dreams to people, not just blood and tears.”