Le Pen opens French presidential campaign in Orleans, vows to restore rule of law

Marine Le Pen, leader of France's far-right National Rally, gave her first presidential campaign speech on Sunday in the city of Orleans. She vowed to restore the rule of law if elected. France 24 and the South China Morning Post (SCMP) quoted her as saying: "We are going to restore the rule of law." Le Pen leads opinion polls in the race to succeed President Emmanuel Macron.

The speech followed weeks of unrest in France. This included mass cost-of-living rallies and violent clashes on Saturday and the week before. Looting and arson occurred on the sidelines of demonstrations the previous weekend.

According to France 24, more than 400,000 people marched in major French cities on Saturday. Clashes broke out after groups of masked protesters broke away from the marches. Police made more than 1,300 arrests, France 24 reported. The reports reviewed by Vocemundi do not include official figures confirming these numbers. France 24 also reported that the previous week's protests followed four weeks of student demonstrations over the state of French schools.

In Orleans, thousands of counter-protesters marched on Saturday, chanting anti-fascist slogans, according to France 24. Another rally was called for Sunday on the city's southern outskirts. The reports do not say whether it took place. Police were filtering traffic into Orleans on Sunday, France 24 reported.

The election will be held in two rounds in April and May, according to France 24. It cited an Ipsos survey published on Saturday suggesting Le Pen would win 32-34 percent of first-round votes. The same poll found that a majority believe the government is responsible for the crisis. The reports do not describe the poll's methodology or margin of error. France 24 and SCMP say Le Pen appears to be benefiting from the unrest, but the reports include no data showing a causal link.

France 24 also reported that France's debt and deficit exceed EU limits, and that the government is struggling to pass a cost-cutting budget. The Yellow Vest movement has called for protests next Saturday. The CGT union, an official organiser of the demonstrations, is urging strikes from 5 November.

What is disputed

France 24 put the crowd at Le Pen's launch at about 10,000; SCMP reported 8,500. The reports do not say who produced either figure. Police counted 13,000 at Saturday's counter-protest, while organisers said about twice that, according to France 24.

What each side says

Le Pen said Macron's government is soft on violent protesters and lacks authority, according to France 24 and Le Monde. France 24 reported that she pledged capped household energy bills, lower taxes and a smaller French contribution to the EU. SCMP reported that she described her party's project as the dawn of a new era, not a return to the past. She is critical of NATO and of French support for Ukraine, according to France 24.

Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez blamed much of the violence on "ultra-left" extremists, France 24 reported. Protesters and rights groups say the government is restricting the right to demonstrate. Unions and Yellow Vest protesters say they will keep marching.

France 24 quoted counter-protester Antonine Rochet, 35, as saying: "If the far right comes to power, we fear things will become much worse." The reports do not include a government response to Le Pen's accusations.

Analysis

Le Pen's campaign launch places public order at the centre of the race, at a time when protests over living costs continue. Several paths remain open. Continued unrest could keep security and authority prominent in the debate. A calmer period could shift attention to budget pressures and her economic pledges, including energy caps and lower EU contributions. Planned strikes and marches will test how the government handles protest rights. Poll figures are early and their methodology is not described. The reports do not show that the unrest has changed voter support. Outcomes in April and May remain uncertain.

Produced by the Vocemundi newsroom with AI assistance.