Le Pen opens 2027 bid before 8,500, polls at 32-34%

Marine Le Pen, the leader of France’s far-right National Rally, opened her campaign for the 2027 presidential election on Sunday, Oct. 25, in Orléans, promising to “restore the rule of law” before about 8,500 supporters.

She enters the race as the poll leader. An Ipsos survey published Saturday put her at 32 to 34 per cent of first-round votes, according to a report carried by The Korea Times. The two-round election begins in April 2027, with the runoff in May, as President Emmanuel Macron completes his second term.

“We are going to restore the rule of law,” Le Pen, 58, said, after looting and arson during recent cost-of-living protests. She accused Macron’s centrist government of weakness toward violent demonstrators and a lack of authority.

She also pledged to “restore our borders” and to create “double borders, both French and European.” “French nationality will once again become a privilege that is either inherited or earned,” she said, and she promised tougher immigration laws and the protection of French language, traditions and way of life.

On the cost of living, Le Pen said she would cap household energy bills, cut taxes and reduce France’s contribution to the European Union budget, The Local France reported. She is also critical of NATO and of French support for Ukraine against Russia’s invasion.

Jordan Bardella, the 31-year-old National Rally president and a member of the National Assembly, said he would crack down on the “ultra-left,” lower the age of criminal responsibility to 16 and deport “delinquents and criminals.”

The launch followed a weekend of unrest. More than 400,000 people marched in French cities on Saturday over the cost of living, and police made more than 1,300 arrests after clashes, Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez blamed much of the violence on “ultra-left” extremists, according to the same reports. Thousands of counter-protesters also marched against Le Pen in Orléans on Saturday. Our earlier coverage of the arrests and protests across Europe has more detail.

Le Pen is running despite an appeals court upholding an embezzlement conviction against her. The reports did not say how that ruling affects her eligibility to stand.

France’s debt and budget deficit already exceed EU limits, and Macron’s government is struggling to pass a cost-cutting budget, limiting room for new spending, the reports said. Unions and Yellow Vest protesters have said they will continue street marches.

For Canadians, the race matters mainly for security and trade policy. Canada leads a NATO multinational brigade in Latvia and has backed Ukraine alongside France, so a French government that questions NATO and Ukraine support would shift the balance among Ottawa’s closest European partners. Canadians in France, including students and dual citizens, can check travel.gc.ca for current advice, given the protests.

The first round is expected in April 2027. Candidate lists from other parties had not been settled in the reports reviewed.

Via The Local France and The Korea Times.

If you find reporting like this useful, consider supporting Canada News Media, an independent Canadian newsroom with no corporate parent.