The fact that I am in Bulgaria means that Ataka has friends all around Europe, French National Front leader Jean-Marie Le Pen said at the opening of the pre-election campaign of the Bulgarian ultra-nationalist movement Ataka.

Ataka defended the same principles in Bulgaria as the National Front in France, Le Pen said as quoted by Focus news agency.

People should not be afraid of nationalism, he said. The patriots loved their people and their motherland.

Ataka leader Volen Siderov said his movement regard Le Pen with respect and considered his policy an example.

Le Pen is a far-right nationalist politician, who ran for French presidency five times. In 2002, in a surprise upset he came second, collecting more votes in the first round than the main left candidate, Lionel Jospin. In the 2007 presidential elections he finished fourth.

His policy advocates immigration restrictions, the death penalty and euro scepticism. Le Pen has been charged with Holocaust denial several times.