Marine Le Pen opened her 2027 presidential campaign before thousands of supporters in Orléans, pledging to restore public order, strengthen French sovereignty and lead a national “Renaissance” amid widespread protests and economic discontent.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
French National Rally leader Marine Le Pen formally launched her 2027 presidential campaign Sunday, Oct. 25, invoking the legacy of Joan of Arc and promising a national “Renaissance” as France faces widespread demonstrations, economic uncertainty and growing dissatisfaction with President Emmanuel Macron’s government.
Addressing approximately 8,500 supporters at her party’s annual congress in Orléans, Le Pen presented the presidential election as an opportunity to restore national confidence, strengthen public security and reverse policies she blamed for France’s economic and social difficulties.
The location carried historical significance. Orléans was liberated from an English siege in 1429 under the leadership of Joan of Arc, whose image has long been associated with French patriotism and national resistance.
According to Breitbart News, Le Pen drew repeated comparisons between the medieval heroine’s determination and her own political movement’s efforts to reshape France.
“History is not written in resignation, but in courage. It is drawn in will and tenacity. We all fight for our homeland, French of the metropolis, overseas and the world, French of cities, suburbs and the countryside. This essential struggle reminds us that serving one’s country is a natural mission, an immense responsibility, a sacred duty,” Le Pen told supporters.
The 58-year-old presidential candidate argued that France was approaching a historic turning point, describing the election as an opportunity to begin a new political era.
“Here in Orléans, the city of our national heroine, the symbol of the refusal of resignation and fatalism, begins the great battle for France, the one that will lead our country to the dawn of a new day. It is for our beautiful country, the return of hope and power, of pride and greatness. It will be for the world, the return of France.”
Le Pen said she had the “firm conviction that we are living through a period comparable to the period preceding the Renaissance.”
Her campaign launch followed weeks of demonstrations across France involving students, labor organizations and activists protesting living costs, education policies and government spending.
Although most demonstrations have remained peaceful, clashes between police and some protesters have resulted in arrests, damaged businesses and extensive security operations.
Le Pen used the unrest to criticize Macron’s administration and accuse political opponents of failing to maintain public order.
According to Reuters, she promised stricter policing, tougher penalties for violent offenders and expanded measures against organized crime.
“We are going to re-establish the rule of law,” she declared, drawing applause from supporters.
Le Pen pledged to restore public security within six months of taking office, arguing that the government had failed to adequately protect communities from criminal activity.
She questioned how authorities could claim to uphold the rule of law when criminal organizations exert influence in neighborhoods and violent groups damage public property.
The candidate also criticized the far-left France Unbowed party, led by Jean-Luc Mélenchon, and accused radical activists of contributing to the recent unrest.
Her remarks included criticism of Antifa groups, which she characterized as responsible for some of the violence accompanying demonstrations.
Those accusations remain political claims rather than findings establishing organizational responsibility for the unrest.
Immigration featured prominently in her campaign platform.
Le Pen promised tighter border controls, expanded deportations of foreign nationals convicted of crimes and additional restrictions intended to prioritize French citizens in certain government programs.
She argued that existing immigration policies had placed pressure on housing, public services and communities.
The National Rally candidate also pledged to reduce the influence of European Union institutions over French domestic policymaking, arguing that France should exercise greater authority over its borders, economy and national laws.
Her economic proposals include reducing energy taxes, supporting domestic manufacturing, lowering certain business taxes and eliminating regulations she considers obstacles to investment.
Le Pen criticized environmental policies that she said increased costs for households and businesses while undermining industrial competitiveness.
She described portions of the environmental movement’s agenda as “punitive” and argued that government policy should focus on affordable energy and economic growth.
According to The Associated Press, Le Pen also pledged to repeal France’s 2017 prohibition on new oil and gas exploration permits, calling the measure “the stupid Hulot law.”
The proposal would reopen the possibility of domestic fossil fuel exploration, including projects currently restricted under French environmental legislation.
Le Pen maintained that expanding domestic energy production could reduce dependence on imports and strengthen the country’s economic security.
At the same time, she pledged to maintain public education, health care and social protections for elderly residents.
Her campaign platform combines nationalist immigration and sovereignty policies with support for several established French social welfare programs.
“We believe in France, and therefore we believe in the future,” Le Pen told the audience.
The campaign launch also demonstrated efforts to consolidate support among France’s conservative and nationalist political movements.
National Rally President Jordan Bardella joined Le Pen onstage, alongside Éric Ciotti, leader of the Union of the Right for the Republic.
Ciotti, a former leader of the center-right Republicans party, urged additional conservative lawmakers to support Le Pen rather than remain aligned with Macron’s political movement.
“I am calling today on my former LR friends, who are quarrelling to be the extras in a foretold defeat, to join this great hope that is rising,” Ciotti said.
“I am calling on all LR parliamentarians to leave the Macronist Titanic. I say to them, come back, come back home!”
Marion Maréchal, Le Pen’s niece and a prominent figure in French nationalist politics, also participated in the gathering, signaling renewed cooperation among political figures who previously supported competing parties.
The congress took place under heightened security, with authorities restricting demonstrations near the venue following recent nationwide unrest.
According to Al Jazeera’s reporting from Orléans, supporters waved French flags and chanted “Marine présidente!” as Le Pen addressed the gathering.
The campaign marks Le Pen’s fourth attempt to win the French presidency.
She previously reached the second round of voting in 2017 and 2022, losing both elections to Macron, who is constitutionally prohibited from seeking a third consecutive term.
Recent opinion surveys have placed Le Pen ahead of other prospective candidates in first-round voting intentions, although polling does not determine the eventual election result.
According to Agence France-Presse, Le Pen continues to face legal uncertainty following her conviction in a case involving the misuse of European Parliament funds.
She has challenged the conviction and its consequences, including restrictions on her eligibility to hold elected office. The legal proceedings remain an important factor in determining her ability to compete in the presidential election.
Bardella has been discussed as a potential alternative candidate if Le Pen is ultimately prevented from running.
Despite that uncertainty, the National Rally leader used Sunday’s appearance to present herself as prepared to govern and to encourage supporters to reject suggestions that political change was impossible.
“There is a beautiful human and political adventure to share. There is a story to write, a destiny to realise,” she said.
The presidential election is scheduled for spring 2027, with France’s major political parties preparing competing proposals on immigration, public security, economic management and the country’s relationship with the European Union.
Le Pen’s campaign launch establishes the themes she intends to emphasize: national sovereignty, reduced immigration, affordable energy, stronger law enforcement and what she describes as a renewal of French identity.
Her appearance in Orléans also reinforced the National Rally’s longstanding use of Joan of Arc as a symbol of resistance, determination and national independence.
With France facing continued political demonstrations and economic pressures, Le Pen is seeking to translate dissatisfaction with the current government into support for her proposed political transformation.
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