Extreme Right And The French Election

[Paigntonian]

Le Pen is endlessly described as 'Extreme Right'. Why is no-one ever described (by the BBC for example) as 'Extreme Left'?

[JimF]

I think you'll find that there are/were plenty examples of this. Jeremy Corbyn, Momentum, Arthur Scargill, Derek Hatton, Ken Livingstone et al.

[Paigntonian]

Point taken JimF. But fairly certain the BBC did not describe those people as 'Extreme Left'. Think the BBC, and others, referred to them as 'hard-liners' and 'Left-Wing'.

[Gromit]

Jean-Luc Mélenchon Is usually described as a far left candidate. Socialist and anti EU.

[Ellipsis]

They usually say "Far Left" rather than "Extreme Left". I think they also usually say "Far Right" for that matter.

One recent high profile person I can think of as being often referred to as "far left" was Bernie Sanders.

[Paigntonian]

Gromit: I'll give you that one. But I do think the use of language has become debased. Seems to me that terms like 'populist' are meaningless.

[Paigntonian]

Bernie Sanders is a good example. 'Far Left' is a legitimate only in a domestic US context and, objectively, nonsense.

[Buenchico]

The BBC tends to avoid the use of 'extreme' to describe political leanings, preferring to use 'far'. (My understanding is that it's official editorial policy).

So it was with the French presidential elections, where Marine Le Pen was described as 'far right', whereas Jean-Luc Mélenchon was described as 'far left':
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-59900131

[Peter Pedant]

or extreme centre ?

I regard nonetheless the Beeb to have a marxist leaning and that is from their biassed dealing with Southern africa. and the Beebs prolonged love affair with Winnie Mandela

tory boys are usually described as Right and so Marine has to be extreme..... whereas the difficulties with Labour is there was infiltration ( militant tendency )

extreme left are the Trotskyists, CP of GB - I think there is a communist party ( stalinist) membership 45 and a dog.

what is in a name anyway

[ichkeria]

Yep, Melenchon.

So not sure there’s a point here