A Le Pen Victory Would Mean 'Major Disorder', Says IMF's Lagarde

Washington: The head of the International Monetary Fund on Thursday said a victory by the far-right candidate Marine Le Pen in France's presidential elections this year could cause political and economic upheaval.

"It would certainly entail major disorder and the risk of dislocation," IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde told CNBC in Washington, where the fund and World Bank are kicking off semi-annual meetings.

Le Pen has pledged to take France out of the eurozone and stage a referendum on exiting the European Union, as Britainvoted to do last year.

"It has protected us from, you know, the horrors of wars and we need to keep that in mind," she said.