The convention was organised as France’s right-wing Les Republicains party loses steam after several electoral defeats to both National Rally and President Emmanuel Macron’s centrist party.
“This convention is a series of conferences and debates meant to bring forward ideas. But these ultra-conservative figures are not creating a new movement right away. They might do so at a later stage. They share with the far-right common themes, like immigration and radical measures to limit it.”
Ms Maréchal’s forum has attracted public figures from all backgrounds, including Jewish ones. But supporters of the event, including prominent lawyer Gilles-William Goldnadel and Alexandre Del Valle, insist the meeting is not extremist at all.
Journalist Elizabeth Levy, magistrate Fabrice Haccoun, author Fabrice Hadjaj and the journalist Eric Zemmour are among Jewish attendees at the event.
“I personally believe that neither Marion Maréchal nor Marine Le Pen are from the Far Right. I think they’re very much on the right side of the political spectrum but notin from the Far Right,” Mr Goldnadel told the JC.
“I don’t agree with some of their positions, including when Marine Le Pen wants to ban dual citizenship, which I have. But that doesn’t mean she’s a racist or an antisemite.
“She said she would like to ban kippahs in public spaces. I believe that’s because she has a secularist vision. I personally think ritual slaughtering should be banned but that doesn’t make me an antisemite.”
Ms Maréchal differs from Marine Le Pen in a number of areas. She never publicly condemned Jean-Marie Le Pen, who was expelled from his own party after saying Nazi gas chambers were a mere “detail” of Second World War history.
She is also more conservative and actively opposes same-sex marriage, unlike her aunt who recruited gay people to senior positions and decided her party would not protest gay rights.
The political differences led Ms Maréchal to take a break from politics and launch a political science school with a conservative ideology.
“There is a very strong ideological divide between Marion Maréchal and her aunt Marine Le Pen,” Mr Del Valle, a political scientist who was invited to speak at Saturday’s forum, told the JC.
“I demonstrated to protect the values of the traditional family cell. Marine Le Pen chose not to protest because she believed it would be a bad strategy.
“Her goal is to attract popular, blue-coloured votes because she believes it can pay politically. She considered that protesting next to the Catholic Church would not project the right image.
“Marion Maréchal is all the opposite.”
Mr Knobel added: “Marion Maréchal Le Pen’s initiative irritates Marine Le Pen.
“She says she has retired from politics yet she’s adopting a strategy of someone running for power, a potential attempt to replace her aunt. Jean-Marie Le Pen, the party’s founder has already sided with his granddaughter saying she’s more efficient, talented and bold.”
The conference will open with a statement from Mr Zemmour, whose controversial statements on immigration and racial minorities has angered many. He once said that France’s Second World War Vichy regime “saved Jews in France” by “sacrificing foreign Jews”.
Gilles-William Goldnadel said Ms Le Pen and Ms Maréchal’s growing popularity is linked to terror attacks that have rocked France in recent years.
“Terrorism has changed people’s perception. Fewer have a naïve and angelical view of mass immigration. Boycotting Le Pen was a form of intellectual terrorism which is going extinct now. The only Jews who still boycott Le Pen and Maréchal are from the so-called organized community which represents no one.”
