France’s Le Pen launches presidential bid as protests rattle the nation

As France faces one of its most turbulent periods in years, Le Pen cast herself as the best placed to navigate what she described as mounting economic, social and security crises.

"We are not living through the end of the world but the end of a world, their world," she said of her political opponents.

Le Pen chose to make her first campaign address in Orleans, home to Joan of Arc, the 15th-century warrior heroine revered by nationalists as a symbol of patriotism and sovereignty.

Addressing a crowd of cheering supporters, she promised "zero tolerance" policing and said restoring security was the state's first duty.

Mass protests over living costs and inequality last weekend descended into looting and vandalism.

OPINION POLL PUTS LE PEN IN THE LEAD

The street turmoil has given Le Pen a boost and an opinion poll published on Sunday put her on 32% to 33.5%, well ahead of her nearest rival, hard-left leader Jean-Luc Melenchon on 17%, as voters desert mainstream parties for the political extremes.

Surveys suggest she would easily defeat Melenchon in a run-off ballot, expected to be held in early May.

Seeking to project optimism, Le Pen built her speech around the theme of a national "Renaissance". She said France was living through a period of upheaval but would emerge stronger if it embraced her vision of security, prosperity and renewal.

"We say: 'Things were good before, they will be better tomorrow!'," she said.

Le Pen promised a hard line on immigration, pledging to restore border controls, automatically expel foreign criminals and crack down on gangs and drug traffickers.

Le Pen herself could have to campaign wearing an ankle tag after she was convicted of embezzling European Parliament funds. She is appealing the court verdict.

On the economy, Le Pen pledged spending restraint, lower business taxes, reduced bureaucracy and support for industry, innovation and artificial intelligence. She rejected further increases in the retirement age.

The congress was designed to showcase unity at the top of the National Rally party, with Jordan Bardella re-elected party president and presented as Le Pen's choice for prime minister.

Bardella's speech was interrupted by activists from a Jewish student union, drawing attention to recent accusations he made antisemitic comments in his youth, which he denies.

Le Pen has spent more than a decade trying to transform the party she inherited from her father, Jean-Marie Le Pen, in 2011, softening its image and broadening its appeal beyond its traditional anti-immigration base.

On Europe, Le Pen stopped short of advocating a French exit from the European Union, but said she would roll back Brussels' influence, restore national control over borders and laws, and put French interests first, including avoiding foreign wars.

"The future belongs to us," she said, before leading the flag-waving crowd in singing the national anthem.

(Reporting by Juliette Jabkhiro, Lafken Zepeda and Nicolas Economou, Writing by Crispian Balmer; editing by Barbara Lewis)