Marine Le Pen adviser, Jean Messiha, speaks with “UpFront”

Jean Messiha, the project coordinator for Marine Le Pen’s presidential campaign, speaks with UpFront:

·        Denies reports that Frederic Chatillon, a National Front employee, has organised birthday celebrations for Adolf Hitler: “This is total lies”

·        Says labelling the National Front as racist or bigoted is a “big insult” to supporters: “You cannot accuse 30 percent of the French people to be Nazi or fascist”

·        Comments on the National Front taking loans from Russian banks: “It has nothing to do with politics”

·        This interview launches UpFront’s brand new season of original programming, which debuts Friday April 14th 

(Washington, D.C. – 13th, April) - In an interview with Al Jazeera English’s current affairs show UpFront, Jean Messiha, an adviser to Marine Le Pen, denied reports that National Front employee, Frederic Chatillon, organized birthday celebrations for Adolf Hitler.

“This is total lies,” he told UpFront host Mehdi Hasan. “He’s never organised a celebration of Hitler’s birthday.”

When pressed further on the National Front’s connection with reportedly racist and bigoted people, Messiha said, “The National Front of 2017 and Marine Le Pen at his head has nothing to do with historical rules.”

“This is a big insult to the 30 percent of French voters to us,” he added. “You cannot accuse 30 percent of the French people to be Nazi or fascist.”

During the interview, Messiha also commented on loans the National Front has taken from Russian banks.

“It is not the Russian government that lend us money, it is a Russian independent bank,” he said. “It has nothing to do with politics.”

When asked how he felt about minority and immigrant communities fearing a potential Marine Le Pen presidency, he answered, “On the contrary, I’m seeing now more and more people asking about our project, about our programme, getting interested in what we are proposing to the French people.”  

This lively interview with Jean Messiha launches UpFront’s brand new season of original programming. The all-new weekly episodes debut on April 14th.  

You can watch a preview of this interview here: https://twitter.com/AJUpFront/status/850695243347271680

Note to Editors

·       This UpFront interview with Jean Messiha airs Friday, April 14th at 19:30GMT.

·       The show will be available through this link: www.aljazeera.com/upfront from 19:30GMT onwards.

·       If using quotes, please credit Al Jazeera English and UpFront. Please add this link to online copy:www.aljazeera.com/upfront

·       Follow UpFront on Twitter:@AJUpFront