Rightwing politician vs progressive artist: Marine Le Pen and Madonna.

By Julio Nakamurakare
Herald Staff

The surprise move is that the rightwing National Front leader has accepted the pop star’s invite

It’s not like US singer-actress and overall media personality Madonna is averse to controversial statements and sudden declarations of religious or political postures. On the contrary, whenever the occasion arises, Madonna does what goes contrary to common sense or to what’s normally expected from a showbiz star who, however contentious, likes to make headline-grabbing proclamations.

The last you heard from Madonna this year was probably her notable wardrobe malfunction at the Brits Awards, when her Armani cape failed to be pulled off by her two “lovely Japanese dancers” and the star tripped and rolled down a few steps as everyone watched in horror. But Madonna was back on her feet in no time and continued performing as though nothing had happened. The wardrobe malfunction was unscripted, and so was Madonna’s reaction, but everything she does or happens to her makes cannon fodder for tabloids and more serious publications.

It will be girls’ night out, it seems, when Madonna and the leader of France’s National Front party Marine Le Pen sit down to have a drink to discuss her (the Material Girl’s) vision of human rights now and the way politicians and artists could or should coalesce so that their synergy could result in benefits for the world at karge,

“I accept Madonna’s invitation with pleasure, I appreciate people who have a good faith approach,” Le Pen was quoted as saying as she accepted Madonna’s offer for a diplomatic discussion. The gesture, let’s recall, comes after Madonna harshly criticized Le Pen’s party as “fascist.” Le Pen and her followers probably did not take well Madonna’s jab (but, truth be told, who knows, may be they take pride in the word “fascist”), but refusing to sit down to talk would not have been polite or strategic. Le Pen had to courteously accept, even knowing that the pop star’s agenda will not be to the NF’s liking.

Where or when the meeting will take place is still unknown, as both parties still have to agree on a date and venue. It will not be a debate, at least according to the tone of Madonna’s invitation, but rather an invitation to reflect on the human rights situation in Europe and the world at large.

While it is true that Madonna cannot claim to have first-hand knowledge of the state of things around the world, it is undeniable that she has led worthy causes and charities, that she is, apparently at least, fully aware that there’s one thing or two politicians and leaders may change to steer the world away from self-destruction due to overambition.

The invitation to Le Pen to have a drink together came up unexpectedly during a TV talk show on Monday.

It was a spontaneous thing, not a calculated move, even if Madonna could be seen as trying to assuage a confrontation with Le Pen, who had threatened to take Madonna to court over the demonstration of her photo with a Swastika on the forehead at Madonna’s Paris concert in 2012.

Europe “feels like Nazi Germany,” Madonna reportedly said, adding, “I want to understand where she (Marine Le Pen) is coming from. Maybe I misunderstood Marine Le Pen, I am not sure. I don’t want to start a war. I want peace in the world,” the pop queen was quoted as saying. A noble gesture, considering that political adversaries often refuse to talk to each other, sit down for a reasonable debate and try to find common ground, if any.

Sure enough, using a giant portrait of Le Pen with a Swastika on her forehead during her last concert tour was not a nice gesture, maybe just a provocative statement, but that’s the way Madonna surely felt, having the freedom, as a world-recognized diva, to speak her mind without further consequences other than all too-frequent criticism.

Madonna’s invitation to Le Pen to a drink came amidst a media furore as the diva, speaking on radio network Europe 1, pointed out growing antisemitism and far-right moods across Europe and, most especially, in France.

“It was a country that embraced everyone and encouraged freedom in every way, shape or form. Now that’s completely gone,” she said. January’s lethal attack against Charlie Hebdo is sound proof of Madonna’s anti-fundamentalist stance. She has openly blamed the National Front for growing racism, and mentioned that she received “a lot of criticism and threats” from its leader, whose name she pronounced incorrectly as “Marie” Le Pen.

Marine Le Pen’s decision to accept Madonna’s unusual, impromptu invitation to a friendly drink and chat may be a sign that the leader of the National Front, created by Jean-Marie Le Pen (Marine’s father) is working on softening the party’s ultra-rightwing image and hard stance on many hot issues.

In a most worrying outcome, according to opinion polls, the National Front outperforms its main rivals for the local elections to be held on March 22 and 29, gaining the support of almost 30 percent of respondents.

Given the less than friendly history between Madonna and Marine Le Pen, it stands to reason that, should the drink take place, it might not be the most comfortable of social occasions, but it will be an opportunity for both to show the world that sworn enemies can, indeed, sit amicably to discuss their differences and smooth their rough patches.

A toast to Madonna’s openness and, as she sang on Elliott Smith’s anthem, People: “Drink up, baby, stay up all night / With the things you could do, / you won't but you might. / The potential you'll be,/ that you'll never see / The promises you'll only make.”

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