Former centrist French prime minister Nicolas Sarkozy seemingly set the tone for a shift rightward when his party (the Union for a Popular Movement [UMP]) changed the focus of their campaign platform to immigration and “law and order” (both of which tacitly centered on Muslim identity in France). When Sarkozy did this in 2007, the young right-winger Le Pen claimed issue ownership which then thrust her into the French political mainstream. Rather than taking votes away from Le Pen, Sarkozy’s move only bolstered the legitimacy of Le Pen and her party by moving the French political center further to the right. This craven political move only helped solidify her right-wing party as a legitimate, mainstream party for the foreseeable future in France.

XREF: Classic issue-copying dynamic; echoes the logic that centrist triangulation can backfire by validating fringe parties rather than marginalizing them.

SEED: A generalizable political mechanics observation: mainstream parties that steal far-right issues don't shrink their rivals but instead legitimize them. Could anchor a piece on political strategy and winner-take-all positioning.

Arsalan Iftikhar, Fear of a Muslim Planet_ Gl…, loc. 494