The top intellectual in France’s far-right National Rally has quit the party in protest, adding to a revolt against the leadership of Marine Le Pen as she prepares a run for the presidency.
Jean Messiha, 50, a senior civil servant and television commentator who was the party’s so-called “ideas director”, said he was frustrated by Ms Le Pen’s failure to win elections despite strong public support for the policies of the populist movement.
“We have won the battle of ideas but we are not managing to stir a broad popular tide that converts into victory at the polls. It’s like a football team which has lots of supporters and a manager full of goodwill but never wins,” said Mr Messiha, a defence ministry official who
