How the European far right discovered the dark side of the liberal tradition

The Front National secured the largest share of the vote in the first round of the French regional elections on 6 December, but failed to win any regions in the second round. Ben Margulies writes that while the Front National is often regarded simply as a far-right party, Marine Le Pen has increasingly focused on the Front National’s role in defending liberal and republican values. He argues that this apparent liberalism reflects a wider trend across Europe for parties to cite liberal values as the basis for critiques of Islam.