PARIS (Reuters) – Marine Le Pen denied on Friday any “backpedaling” on a draft referendum on the reinstatement of the death penalty in France in the event of an election to the presidency of the Republic.
Asked about the subject on Thursday on France 2, the candidate of the National Rally, who proposes to set up a citizens’ initiative referendum, had however declared that “the question of the death penalty could go through a referendum”. “Everything could go through a referendum except what goes against the Constitution,” she nevertheless added.
It is this point that she invoked on Friday, when, to a new question on such a referendum, she answered more clearly on BFMTV and RMC: “We cannot, it is unconstitutional.”
She insisted a few hours later in front of journalists during a trip to Pertuis, in the Vaucluse: “I do not believe that there is a backpedal. I have always said it, the citizens’ initiative referendum cannot not change the Constitution, I have said it over and over again.”
The Constitution of the Fifth Republic provides, in its article 66-1, that “no one may be condemned to the death penalty”.
Other provisions also provide that a constitutional amendment can only take place on the initiative of the President of the Republic or members of Parliament. If it is adopted by Parliament, the text must then be submitted to a referendum, unless the Head of State prefers the path of Congress when he is at the origin of the draft revision.
However, Marine Le Pen does not seem to be planning to organize a referendum on capital punishment herself if she is elected President of the Republic against the outgoing Head of State Emmanuel Macron on April 24.
“I actually think that the French would not vote for it (the restoration of the death penalty-Editor’s note) for a simple reason, which is that I would put in place real life (…) what the French want” , she said Thursday on France 2.
“In addition, I am opposed to it,” she said on BFMTV and RMC on Friday.
(Written by Bertrand Boucey, edited by Nicolas Delame)