Marine Le Pen – undefeated by her third failed bid for the presidency – promised her supporters on Sunday that she would continue the fight in the June legislative elections. “I will continue the fight for France and the French people,” Le Pen said in a provocative speech. She called her result “a resounding victory”, saying that “in this loss, I can’t help but feel a form of hope”.
“I fear that the next five years will not break with the contempt and brutal policies of the past five years and that Emmanuel Macron will do nothing to mend the divisions in our country,” the 53-year-old was quoted as saying. ‘Press Agency. Reuters.
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Here’s what Le Pen stood for in his presidential campaign
1. In his latest bid to win the presidency, Le Pen tapped into anger across the country over the rising cost of living, the decline of many rural communities and what has been called general disenchantment with towards Macron.
2. During his campaign, Le Pen pledged to dilute French ties with the 27 EU countries, NATO and Germany, according to an AP report, and measures that would have undermined Europe’s security architecture as the continent faces its worst conflict since the world. Second war.
3. Le Pen also spoke out against EU sanctions on Russian energy supplies and expressed concern about the impact on French living standards of these sanctions. During her campaign, she also faced heat for her “proximity to the Kremlin”.
4. Le Pen also confirmed her intention to ban the Muslim headscarf in public spaces – an “Islamist-imposed uniform”, as she called it during her campaign according to the AFP news agency. During a live debate with Macron on Wednesday, Le Pen said: “I think we need to introduce a law against Islamist ideology. I am not fighting against a religion, I am not against Islam, which is a religion that has its place (in France).
5. Le Pen also talked about his “national preference” plan where French workers would be given priority over foreigners in jobs. She also defended the exclusion of non-citizens from social benefits.
It’s unclear whether Le Pen is able to hang on until the next presidential vote in 2027, but in an interview with Reuters in March she refused to rule out a fourth run at the Elysee Palace.
(With contributions from Reuters, AP)
