Marine Le Pen, a prominent contender for France's next presidential election and a lawmaker for the National Rally (RN), has held her first large-scale campaign rally aimed at the presidency amid nationwide anti-government protests.

Kicking off her presidential campaign, she vowed to supporters that if she wins the presidency, she will take a hard line against crime and restore the rule of law.

Speaking to thousands of supporters in Orléans, France, on the 25th (local time), MP Le Pen asked, "Who can say that the rule of law exists when mobs swarm in to loot and burn buildings?" adding, "We will restore the rule of law."

Le Pen's speech came as Emmanuel Macron's government faces criticism for a complacent response to protests after recent weekend rallies—protesting soaring living costs and poor educational conditions—turned chaotic with successive looting and arson incidents in Paris and other major cities.

Stepping out for her presidential campaign launch amid expectations that she would benefit politically from the growing turmoil as French protests were marred by violence, she told the crowd, "We want to ensure the transmission of France's unique culture and French way of life," emphasizing France First.

She also raised her voice, stating, "We will rebuild borders and establish a double border, both at the French national level and at the European level."

The RN is seeking to expand its approval ratings by backing the police in the current protest crisis and cementing its image as a party that prioritizes law and order.

When Le Pen emphasized during her speech that "what we are proposing for the country is not a return to the past, but the beginning of a new era," supporters cheered, shouting, "We will win, we will win."

Despite her legal risks—having a history of being indicted on embezzlement charges—the far-right figure Le Pen is running for the presidency for the fourth time in her life and currently leads by an overwhelming margin in the polls.

If she wins the presidential election, which will be held in two rounds in April and May of next year, Le Pen has pledged to lower the burden of living costs by implementing a cap on household energy bills, cutting taxes, and reducing contributions to the European Union (EU).

She has also maintained a critical stance toward the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and opposed aid to Ukraine, which has been at war against Russia for nearly five years.

Meanwhile, the previous day in Orléans, where a party congress was held to elect a new leader for the RN, an estimated 13,000 protesters gathered according to police to hold an anti-far-right rally.

French authorities deployed 3,000 police officers to prepare for potential clashes between the two sides.

Jordan Bardella, 31, the current leader and Le Pen's "successor" who was re-elected as party leader at the congress that day, appealed for the consolidation of supporters, saying, "Once again, we need you to lead Marine Le Pen to the Élysée Palace."

(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)