(France)Reuters)-
Aline Dugravot is in trouble about whether to vote for Marlene Le Pen in the French presidential election: she likes the opposition of the leader of the National Front
Immigration information, but also like the EU and euro that Le Pen wants to give up. The 34-year-
The old commute to her border insurance job in the EU's neighboring Luxembourg, fearing that she would be injured if the National Front brought France out of the EU.
"The euro, the EU is very important to me.
An exit would be a mess, "Dugravot said outside Hayange's house, which is only 16,000 away from the border and has a population of less than 20 km people.
48-year-old Le Pen will win first or second place in the first round of the French presidential election this month.
In the May 7 runoff, she may be closer to winning the French presidential election than any far-right leader since World War II, despite polls showing she still lost.
One result of her soaring popularity is one of her main ideas: giving up the euro and leaving the EU has surpassed support for her. Although Le Pen has gained greater recognition in the mainstream media, it is still on the verge in France.
A poll by Kantar Sofres shows that while one out of every two voters agrees with Le Pen's position that there are too many immigrants in France, only 22% want to give up the euro.
Le Pen accused the European Union and its common currency of killing the French economy.
After taking office, she said, she will negotiate for six months before holding a referendum on whether to withdraw from the EU and give up the euro.
For Mark Schmidt, 25
A one-year-old cleaner commutes from a village next to Hayange to Luxembourg, making it possible to support Le Pen as president, although he wants to keep the euro.
It takes him 45 minutes a day to cross the open EU border, and he fears that if France withdraws from the EU and pulls back border checks, it will take longer to cross the border.
"I will only vote against it in the referendum," Schmidt said . " He said he had not yet decided on the presidential election, but thought Le Pen "had a lot of good ideas ".
The opposition to the EU is popular among the grassroots National Front voters, helping to establish the party's opposition
But that makes it harder to win the support of other voters.
Some leaders of the National Front wanted to get rid of the hostility towards the euro, as the party failed to win control of any regional and local parliament in two elections in 2015, despite high scores.
But a meeting of political parties dedicated to the issue decided not to change strategy.
Instead, Le Pen wants to win enough voters, like Schmidt, who are willing to vote for her as president, even though they want to stay in the EU.
North-East France's border with Belgium, Luxembourg and Germany is one of the country's most powerful support areas for the National Front. (See map: tmsnrtrs/2n70MzB )
At Hayange, where unemployment is as high as 17%, steel mills have closed.
About the third person with a job is now working on the border near Luxembourg, a small place, and the number of workers commuting from France has tripled since the border inspection was canceled in 1995.
However, despite reliance on EU neighbors, Hayange elected a mayor, Fabien Engelmann, from the 37-year-old National Front.
If France leaves the EU, commuters are still likely to work in Luxembourg or Germany, he said.
Special passes can be issued to speed up their transit.
"I'm European, but I'm against the EU," Engelman said in front of Town Hall . " The city hall only hangs the French tricolor flag, and does not have the blue and yellow EU flags hanging over most French cities.
"It's not a problem that many French people work in Luxembourg before the border opens," he said . ".
"A referendum will be held and French voters can decide on their own if they want to stay in the EU.
Let's stop this alarmist.
Michelle pavassi, 69year-
The retired old man whose two sons work at the border says she will still vote for Le Pen.
"I don't think leaving Europe will change the fact that commuters are going to work in Luxembourg.
If all commuters leave Luxembourg, where will Luxembourg find staff? ” But 58-
Andre Sobis, a year-old assembly line worker at car maker Peugeot PSA, saved money on vacation to EU countries such as Greece, saying he wants France to stay in the EU.
"Living near the border and traveling in the same currency, we were lucky.
This is an advantage. ” Click tmsnrt.