Wilders denounces Le Pen; Anti-EU alliance on the ropes

PVV-leader Geert Wilders finds the latest anti-Semitic statements of French Front National party-founder Jean-Marie Le Pen, "disgusting," he told newswire ANP. Wilders still gave Le Pen some benefit of the doubt, when he said, “If the statements were truly made, and meant [in that way], they are without a doubt disgusting which I have already mentioned to Front National.” He did not want to give further explanation according to the ANP. Responding to criticism by French entertainer Patrick Bruel and former tennis star Yannick Noah, Le Pen said, "We will build an another oven next time." Bruel is Jewish, and Le Pen has made anti-semitic remarks in the past. The latest comments were made in a video posted to the the party's website. The video has since been taken down. Noah announced that he no longer wanted to play in France if Front National wins elections. “He is a pig if he does not keep himself to this,” Le Pen said after hearing this remark. Wilders works with current party chief Marine Le Pen, daughter of Jean-Marie. The elder politician still holds an honorary chair with the party, and enjoys immunity as a Member of European Parliament. Marine Le Pen takes distance from her father’s statements in an interview with the French newspaper Le Figaro. “He should have known his words could easily be interpreted wrongly,” she said, though she did not provide an alternative interpretation for her father's words. Marine Le Pen states that it was her own decision to remove the video from the website. PVV leader Wilders wants to work together with FN in the European Parliament. Together, they had been trying to cobble together an anti-European Union coalition within the Parliament. Wilders stresses each time that the party under the leadership of Marine Le Pen is not an anti-semantic party, despite the fact that Jean-Marie Le Pen is still a MEP.