France's Le Pen proposes return to ECU-style system to replace euro

Marine Le Pen, French far-right Front National (FN) party president, member of European Parliament and candidate in the French 2017 presidential elections, speaks during a New Year wishes ceremony to the media in Paris, France, January 4, 2017. REUTERS/Charles Platiau

PARIS (Reuters) - Euro zone countries should retreat from the euro single currency and return to a "common currency" structure, French National Front leader Marine Le Pen said on Wednesday, evoking the era of the ECU basket of currencies.

Speaking to Reuters after a New Year news conference, Le Pen, who hopes to be elected president of France in May, also said that French national debt would be denominated in a new national currency under her administration.