Le Pen jeered by Euro MPs

Le Pen got a frosty reception from his fellow MEPs in the European Parliament

BRUSSELS, Belgium -- French presidential candidate Jean-Marie Le Pen was booed and jeered by MEPs as he took his seat in the European Parliament.

The chamber was barely one-third full for a scheduled debate on the Middle East on Wednesday, but the European Parliament members who were present jeered as Le Pen was called to speak to the House for two minutes.

Politicians held up banners declaring "Non" as the French National Front leader began by declaring that everyone was horrified by what was happening in the Middle East.

He got no further before Parliament President Pat Cox interrupted to urge members to be quiet and allow Le Pen the floor.

If they wished to protest, he added, they should do so in silence.

CNN NewsPass VIDEO Opponents of Jean-Marie Le Pen stormed the Bastille in Paris to protest the views of the far-right presidential candidate. CNN's Chris Burns reports (April 24) Play video CNN's Dave Johnson on reaction across Europe to the French far-right poll success (April 23) Play video Le Pen's victory has shocked many in France. CNN's Jim Bittermann reports (April 22) Play video   MORE STORIES • French migrants fear the future  • French poll result alarms Europe    EXTRA INFORMATION In-depth: France Decides 2002

But there were occasional boos as Le Pen continued by describing the Middle East violence as a "challenge to God."

He went on: "This eruption of violence in the cradle of Jesus seems almost pre-apocalyptical."

He said France and the rest of Europe was absent from the fray "because they were following the orders of America and of Javier Solana, the EU's foreign policy supremo."

Before taking his seat, he declared, "We can only deplore this. Peace!" Then, as the booing continued, Le Pen left the chamber.

He later called off a news conference scheduled to be held at the European Parliament building, citing "provocations" from his political opponents.

Amid rowdy scenes, Le Pen failed to turn up at a meeting with journalists in a room where demonstrators held placards saying, "Stop the Nazis."

Jean-Claude Martinez, the spokesman for Le Pen's National Front party at the Parliament, said: "We planned a press conference, not a political meeting organised by supporters of Jacques Chirac."

Earlier, Le Pen had been ushered into the building through the garage to avoid waiting protesters.

Le Pen's visit to the Parliament came the day after he repeated his vow to hold a referendum to take France out of the European Union if he becomes the next president.

Le Pen, 73, told France 2 television he would also organise plebiscites to "stop and then reverse" immigration, end the right of babies born to foreigners in France to become citizens and give only French nationals social benefits.

Le Pen said. "I'm not giving any lessons in democracy to foreign countries, and I don't expect any from them."

The far-right National Front party leader stunned France and alarmed Europe by finishing second to incumbent conservative President Jacques Chirac with almost 17 percent of the vote in the first round of the election on Sunday.

In Tuesday's France 2 TV interview, Le Pen refused to answer questions about his statement in 1987 that the Nazi gas chambers were a detail of history.

Le Pen, who was convicted for the remark on charges of questioning the existence of crimes against humanity, denied he is an anti-Semite. (Le Pen profile)

"Do you think ... that at my age I am going to become a dictator?" he asked.

He said the introduction of the euro currency and other aspects of European monetary and economic union had "enslaved our country and emptied it of substance."

"The first referendum will be held on the totally abnormal institutions and links created between France and the Europe of Brussels and Maastricht," he said.

Reeling from Le Pen's shock success, political parties across the mainstream spectrum have urged supporters to vote for Chirac on May 5 in a united response to the extreme right.

France's Jewish community, already alarmed by a rise in anti-Jewish attacks linked to violence in the Middle East, called on Jewish voters on Tuesday to back Chirac en masse.

Chirac, meanwhile, has ruled out any form of television debate with his election rival.

Pollsters say Chirac will easily defeat Le Pen, but that the conservatives will need to fight hard to win a parliamentary majority to avoid their president sharing power with a National Assembly controlled by the left for another five years.

Le Pen's sudden surge means National Front candidates could hold the balance of power in 150 to 200 of France's 577 constituencies.

Although few or none are expected to win, they could split the right-wing vote and help a leftist candidate to victory.