Marine Le Pen launches presidential campaign amid French protests

Marine Le Pen launched her fourth presidential campaign at a National Rally convention in Orleans, a day after more than 400,000 people joined nationwide protests over the cost of living and public services. The location was symbolic: Orleans is where Joan of Arc defended a France under siege, and Le Pen has long sought to present herself as a modern heir to that national story. Party faithful queued in their thousands to hear her speak, while streets around the venue were empty, bridges were blocked and trams were cancelled. Critics accused the authorities of rolling out the red carpet for the far right.

Le Pen used the speech to call for a new renaissance and to cast her party as a party of government rather than protest. She said her only compass was France and its people, and she appealed to heritage, family and national continuity. She argued that France was not in difficulty because of its people but because of its leaders, and that no defeat was definitive when a people refused to resign itself. She also promised law and order and a hard line on immigration, saying she would restore control from Paris.

Her policy pitch included tighter immigration rules, an end to automatic citizenship for people born in France, and a plan to take back powers from the EU. She has said she would not negotiate a Frexit if elected. She also says savings from lower EU and Ukraine spending would fund sweeping public sector cuts. Opponents accuse her of discriminatory and xenophobic policies. She rejects allegations of racism and presents National Rally, formerly the National Front, as a defender of French identity.

The launch came amid a tense period for France. More than 1,000 people were arrested across the country during protests the previous day, and an estimated 400,000 took to the streets. What started as a student protest has ballooned into wider unrest about the cost of living, deteriorating conditions in schools and the state of public services. There were violent clashes in Paris, Marseille and Lyon, though the day was calmer than the previous weekend, when looting and vandalism broke out on the fringes of demonstrations. The government stepped up policing and put troops on the streets to protect public buildings. Le Pen and ministers have blamed the far left for whipping up unrest, while Jean-Luc Melenchon, the far-left leader, has supported the movement and condemned violence.

Polls put Le Pen well ahead. One report said she was more than 15 points clear of Melenchon, her closest contender; another put her at over 30 per cent in the first round. Behind them, the socialist Raphael Glucksmann and centre-right former prime minister Edouard Philippe were tied at 13 per cent. That would set up a possible run-off between the far left and the far right, with both sides sceptical of the EU and military aid for Ukraine. The centre of French politics is crumbling, leaving a contest between populist forces.

Le Pen's legal position also hung over the launch. Earlier this year she was found guilty of taking part in a scheme that siphoned nearly 3 million euros from the European Parliament into her party. She was banned from standing for public office for five years, but the ban was reduced on appeal, allowing her to campaign. Another appeal next year will decide whether the initial sentence is upheld. If it is, she could become the first presidential candidate to campaign with an ankle tag. Her lawyers hope to delay the ruling until after the election, which could give her presidential immunity if she wins. She denies all wrongdoing and has described the conviction as an establishment coup.

Her protege Jordan Bardella was re-elected as party president and is expected to be Le Pen's choice for prime minister. He is younger and media savvy, and the pair are selling experience and generational change. Reports have resurfaced of anti-Semitic messages from Bardella, which he denies. They do not appear to have dented the party's support. His speech was interrupted by protesters, and as a scuffle broke out he suggested the crowd sing the national anthem. Asked if he could win, he said: Yes, we would win.

The campaign launch drew a new surge of support from young people, with crowds clamouring for selfies at the end. Supporters said France was in a difficult economic and security situation and that Le Pen could change the country. The big question is whether National Rally can move from being a party of protest to one that French voters trust with the Elysee Palace. The unrest has given Le Pen a platform to present herself as the answer to Macron's failings, but it has also boosted Melenchon and deepened the polarisation of French politics. Macron's approval ratings have fallen to 15 per cent, and his response to the riots has been criticised. With the centre weak, the election could become a straight contest between the hard right and the hard left.