France: Valerie Pécres in favor of border walls to tackle immigration

French presidential candidate Valerie Pecres, seeking to revitalize her prospects in the upcoming elections, expressed her support for the border walls and referred to the “great replacement” of the population by non-white immigrants, as broadcast by Bloomberg agency.

Addressing thousands of supporters in Paris on Sunday, Pecresse, the Republican nominee, said France had lost much of its influence under President Emanuel Macron and would continue to decline if re-elected.

“In 10 years we will still be the seventh power in the world? Will we continue to be a sovereign nation or, conversely, a US subsidiary, a trading post of China? Will we be a united nation or a fragmented nation?” he said. “In the face of these vital questions, neither great degradation nor great replacement is inevitable.”

Pekres also said immigration was “overflowing” and creating “non-French zones”, encouraging the restoration of borders in Europe to strengthen sovereignty.

“If for this purpose it is necessary to build dams or even walls, as demanded by the states at the forefront of blackmailing migrants, I will support them,” he said.

According to Bloomberg, polls so far show that Pekres will not be able to pass the first round of elections on April 10, and her statements suggest that she is turning to the right in an attempt to gather support. He seems to be adopting the tough anti-immigrant stance of Eric Chiotti, whom he defeated in the Republican primary.