There is a new face to the far right in French politics. Marine Le Pen has taken over the helm of the National Front, the right-wing neo-conservative party founded by her pugnacious, one-eyed ex-paratrooper father, Jean-Marie Le Pen.
But while the younger Le Pen presents the facade of a more liberal, more embracing leader, she is actually more dangerous than her father.
Under the elder Le Pen's leadership, the National Front was marginalised as a neo-Nazi party based solely on race hatred. Now, with the younger Le Pen in charge, it is becoming more mainstream, more acceptable, moving against blatant racism to one of warning against Islamisation.
While there is a history of secularism in French politics, there is also a danger that a less radical National Front could put itself into a power-broker role in the two-stage French election system. That would be unwise and regrettable.
Beware of wolves in sheep's clothing.
