European Envoys Quiz Marine Le Pen Over Lunch

European ambassadors put questions to French far-right politician Marine Le Pen over a lunch, according to the headline of a Politico Europe article. The portion of the text available does not say what was asked, who attended or how Le Pen replied, so the content of the conversation cannot be set out here.

Political backdrop

The meeting comes as the French government works on a budget that includes a €43 billion squeeze. Politico Europe reported on Nov. 5 that the National Assembly, the lower house of the French parliament, had unanimously rejected the budget bill. The government looks increasingly likely to force the budget through without a parliamentary vote.

Economy and street protests

On Oct. 30, Finance and Economy Minister Roland Lescure said the French economy was at a standstill, citing new figures showing a contraction in gross domestic product (GDP). The outlet reported he also warned France could "hit the wall".

Protests took place in France in late October. Politico Europe reported that in the week before Oct. 24 the government was in touch with telecom operators to examine ways of restricting access to social networks. On Oct. 26 it reported that the government had failed to convince students to stop protesting, with student groups saying they would continue this weekend and the weekend after.

The available material does not show whether these issues came up at the lunch with the ambassadors.