Marine Le Pen, leader of France’s far-right National Rally, addressed some 10,000 supporters on Sunday in the city of Orleans as she kicked off her presidential campaign, a day after nationwide cost-of-living protests flared again into violence. Le Pen, the frontrunner, is seen to be benefiting in the polls from the weeks of unrest. Lecturer in Liberal Arts at Queen Mary University of London, Andrew Smith, shares further analysis.
France: Le Pen seeks to leverage unrest in presidential campaign kick-off
Marine Le Pen, leader of France’s far-right National Rally, addressed some 10,000 supporters on Sunday in the city of Orleans as she kicked off her presidential campaign, a day after nationwide cost-of-living protests flared again into violence. Le Pen, the frontrunner, is seen to be benefiting in the polls from the weeks of unrest. Lecturer in Liberal Arts at Queen Mary University of London, Andrew Smith, shares further analysis.

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French far-right leader Le Pen kicks off presidential campaign
We’ve just been listening to Marine Le Pen, leader of the far-right National Rally and its presidential candidate, delivering her first official campaign speech in Orléans. She spoke of what she called a “renaissance” for France and the dawn of a new era. She also condemned what she described as “Islamist ideologies” that promote violence, saying they are incompatible with France. Our reporter Antonia Kerrigan was listening in Orléans and joins us now with more.
French far-right leader Le Pen seeks to leverage unrest in presidential campaign kick-off
Marine Le Pen, leader of France’s far-right National Rally, addressed some 10,000 supporters on Sunday in the city of Orleans as she kicked off her presidential campaign, a day after nationwide cost-of-living protests flared again into violence. Le Pen, the frontrunner, is seen to be benefiting in the polls from the weeks of unrest.






