Plagiarism or a ‘wink’? Le Pen’s copied speech targets right

French independent centrist presidential candidate Emmanuel Macron speaks to his supporters during a campaign rally in Paris, France, Monday, May 1st, 2017. With just six days until a French presidential vote that could define Europe's future, far-right leader Marine Le Pen and centrist Emmanuel Macron are holding high-stakes rallies Monday. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena) French independent centrist presidential candidate Emmanuel Macron speaks to his supporters during a campaign rally in Paris, France, Monday, May 1st, 2017. With just six days until a French presidential vote that could define Europe's future, far-right leader Marine Le Pen and centrist Emmanuel Macron are holding high-stakes rallies Monday. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)

By Associated Press May 2, 2017 2 min read

PARIS (AP) – Marine Le Pen deliberately plagiarized verbatim parts of an address from a former presidential candidate, as a “wink” to him and the voters she hopes to peel away in a runoff, her spokesmen said Tuesday.

Francois Fillon, the former Republicans candidate, first delivered the speech on France’s role in Europe and the world on April 15 – just two weeks before Le Pen’s discourse on Monday.

The subject is at the heart of Le Pen’s campaign. She promises to pull France out of the European Union and return to the franc currency, and has denounced globalization’s effects on the French economy and culture.

Three separate spokesmen for Le Pen used the word “wink” to describe the extracts copied word for word from Fillon. At no point in the speech did she cite Fillon or acknowledge the source of the extracts.

“I think with part of the right, we have exactly the same vision on the national identity and independence,” Louis Aliot, Front National vice president, told LCI television Tuesday.