Marine Le Pen Launches Presidential Bid, Pledges to Restore ‘Rule of Law’ in France

Marine Le Pen Launches French Presidential Campaign, Vows to Restore Rule of Law and Tighten Borders

France’s far-right leader Marine Le Pen has launched her campaign for next year’s presidential election, promising to restore the rule of law, strengthen national security and introduce tougher immigration controls.

Addressing around 8,500 supporters of her nationalist, anti-immigration National Rally (RN) party in Orleans on Sunday, Le Pen sought to capitalise on growing public anger over weeks of protests, clashes and rising living costs across France.

“We are going to restore the rule of law,” the 58-year-old declared, referring to incidents of looting and arson that accompanied demonstrations the previous weekend.

The choice of Orleans, a city associated with French national heroine Joan of Arc, added historical significance to the rally. Joan of Arc is often celebrated by the far right as a symbol of national resistance.

Promising a new direction for the country, Le Pen told supporters that her party was offering France “not a return to the past, but the dawn of a new era.” The crowd responded with chants of support as French flags waved across the gathering.

Le Pen also pledged to protect France’s cultural identity, including its language, traditions, values and way of life, declaring that the country must regain its strength.

Protests and Unrest Become Central Campaign Issues
Le Pen’s campaign comes amid widespread demonstrations over the cost of living, deteriorating public services and other social grievances.

More than 400,000 people reportedly took part in marches across major French cities on Saturday. Some demonstrations descended into violence after groups of masked protesters broke away from the rallies. Police made more than 1,300 arrests, while Interior Minister Laurent Nunez blamed much of the unrest on far-left extremists.

Similar disturbances had accompanied nationwide protests a week earlier, following several weeks of student demonstrations over the condition of France’s schools.

The continuing unrest has become a major political issue, with Le Pen accusing President Emmanuel Macron’s centrist government of failing to maintain public order and respond firmly to violent protesters.

Supporters at the Orleans rally echoed her concerns. Charlene Malingre, a 23-year-old wearing a scarf bearing the words “Marine President”, said she believed Le Pen could address France’s difficulties, particularly in the areas of economic security, public safety and law enforcement.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu was scheduled to meet high school student organisations on Monday as the government sought to address demands surrounding education and public services.

Le Pen Promises Tougher Immigration Rules
Immigration policy featured prominently in Le Pen’s address, with the veteran presidential candidate pledging to reinforce France’s borders and make French citizenship more restrictive.

“We will restore our borders, and even establish double borders, both French and European,” she told supporters.

She also argued that French nationality should once again be a privilege acquired through inheritance or earned through specific conditions.

Le Pen has run for the presidency three times previously and is seeking another opportunity to challenge Macron’s political legacy. Her campaign launch follows an appeals court ruling upholding a graft conviction against her, a development that has complicated her political ambitions.

Her deputy, Jordan Bardella, also addressed the gathering and received a standing ovation. He promised a tougher response to far-left groups, proposed lowering the age of criminal responsibility to 16 and called for the deportation of offenders and criminals.

Bardella’s speech was briefly interrupted by members of a Jewish student union who displayed a banner referring to a media report alleging that he had deleted antisemitic messages from an old Facebook account.

Counter-Protests Highlight Opposition to the Far Right
Le Pen’s campaign has also drawn resistance from opponents concerned about the potential consequences of a National Rally victory.

Thousands of counter-protesters marched through Orleans on Saturday, carrying anti-fascist slogans and opposing the party’s nationalist and anti-immigration agenda. Police controlled traffic entering the city ahead of the campaign rally.

Antonine Rochet, a 35-year-old yoga teacher who participated in the counter-demonstrations, expressed concern that a far-right government could worsen the country’s political and social divisions.

The competing rallies highlighted the sharp divisions in French society over immigration, public security and the country’s political future.

Polls Point to Strong Support for Le Pen
An Ipsos survey published on Saturday indicated that Le Pen could secure between 32% and 34% of the vote in the first round of the presidential election, underlining her position as a prominent contender.

The polling also indicated widespread public anger over the unrest, with a majority of respondents believing the government bore some responsibility.

Le Pen has promised to address the cost-of-living crisis by capping household energy bills, reducing certain taxes and cutting France’s contribution to the European Union. She has also expressed criticism of NATO and France’s support for Ukraine following Russia’s invasion.

However, the next president will face significant financial constraints. France’s public debt and budget deficit already exceed European Union limits, while Macron’s government has struggled to advance a budget aimed at reducing expenditure.

As the presidential contest approaches, Le Pen is seeking to turn concerns over security, immigration and economic pressures into electoral support, while opponents warn that her proposed policies could deepen France’s existing divisions.