Follow-Up: France's Le Pen Launches Presidential Bid, Leading Polls at 32%-33.5% With Pledges on Order and Borders

Marine Le Pen, leader of France's far-right National Rally and the frontrunner in next year's French presidential election, formally launched her campaign on Sunday in Orléans, central France, promising to restore order and national confidence. Addressing cheering supporters in the home city of Joan of Arc, she cast herself as best placed to navigate mounting economic, social and security crises. 'We are not living through the end of the world but the end of a world, their world,' she said of her political opponents, according to Reuters.

An opinion poll published Sunday put Le Pen on 32% to 33.5%, well ahead of her nearest rival, hard-left leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon on 17%, and surveys suggest she would easily defeat Mélenchon in a run-off expected in early May. Mass protests over living costs and inequality last weekend descended into looting and vandalism — a line of unrest GSM has been following, with unions calling further marches on October 31 and a nationwide strike on November 5 — and the street turmoil has given Le Pen a boost as voters desert mainstream parties for the political extremes.

Le Pen promised 'zero tolerance' policing, saying restoring security was the state's first duty, and a hard line on immigration: restored border controls, automatic expulsion of foreign criminals and crackdowns on gangs and drug traffickers. On the economy she pledged spending restraint, lower business taxes, reduced bureaucracy and support for industry, innovation and super intelligence, and rejected further increases in the retirement age. On Europe she stopped short of advocating a French exit from the EU but said she would roll back Brussels' influence and restore national control over borders and laws. 'The future belongs to us,' she said, before leading the crowd in the national anthem.

The congress showcased unity at the top of the National Rally, with Jordan Bardella re-elected party president and presented as Le Pen's choice for prime minister. Le Pen herself could have to campaign wearing an ankle tag after being convicted of embezzling European Parliament funds; she is appealing the verdict. She inherited the party from her father, Jean-Marie Le Pen, in 2011 and has spent more than a decade softening its image and broadening its appeal.

Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)

Photo: 法国国民联盟领导人勒庞2026年3月23日摄（资料图）。图：Elekes Andor，CC BY 4.0，经维基共享资源 / Marine Le Pen on March 23, 2026 (file photo). Photo by Elekes Andor, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

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