According to a senior National Rally official, Le Pen wanted to take advantage of her speech to position herself in a presidential role and reassure voters hesitant to support her. “Most people agree with our ideas, but some still think it’s a gamble to vote for us,” the official said.
Overflowing tensions
Le Pen’s rally was also a show of force, with more than 8,500 supporters packed into a conference room in Orléans, many carrying French flags and chanting “Marine, president! »
According to the latest POLITICO poll from mid-October, if the elections took place today, Le Pen would obtain 34% of the vote against 16% for center-right candidate Edouard Philippe and 15% for Jean-Luc Mélenchon, representing the far left. Most polls give Le Pen victory in the second round if no candidate obtains a majority in the first round.
Leaders of the far-right party held a two-day conference in Orléans this weekend under tight security, with intensified police checks and body searches. On Saturday, thousands of left-wing protesters gathered to oppose the rise of the far right in central Paris, while across the country demonstrations drew hundreds of thousands of people, a week after looting and rioting marked rallies across France.
“France is sinking into real violence, which will become uncontrollable if the state does not take control,” said National Rally President Jordan Bardella, addressing the crowd before Le Pen’s speech.
“The National Rally appears to be the only solution to allow the return of order and the return of authority.”
Gn world
