France 24:

French far-right leader Marine Le Pen has said she was the country’s most popular female politician after coming second in an opinion survey, describing the top ranker, International Monetary Fund chief Christine Lagarde, as a “stateless” politician.

The leader of the French far-right National Front party claims to be France’s most popular female politician after a weekly paper published an opinion poll to pick the country’s most well-liked women in politics.

According to the Journal du Dimanche survey, 31% of the respondents want Marine Le Pen “to play a more important role in French politics”. The daughter of far-right firebrand Jean-Marie Le Pen actually came second to International Monetary Fund (IMF) chief Christine Lagarde (34%).

But Marine Le Pen claimed that she was the real number one after discarding Christine Lagarde as a “stateless” politician.

“Madame Lagarde is not a French politician, she is a stateless female politician,” Marine Le Pen told French television BFM.

“When one leads an international institution, one forgets her own nationality (…) and doesn’t refer anymore to her nation’s interests. [Being IMF chief] disqualifies her as a French politician.”

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