In a victory speech Sunday evening, Front National anti-mass migration candidate Marine Le Pen called on patriots in France to support her against Emmanuel Macron, who she called the heir of unpopular French President Francois Hollande.
Ms Le Pen, who exit polls show finished second in the first round of the French presidential election, told a large crowd gathered in the north of France that the battle was now between supporters of globalism and those against.
Calling the first round projected result, which will see her face off against Emmanuel Macron, “historic” she thanked her supporters for bringing her to the second round which is set to take place on May 7th.
Le Pen outlined her main priority as president as to “defend the French nation” emphasising her previous campaign rhetoric which focused on restoring order to a country plagued by Islamic extremist terrorism and riots in various Paris suburbs.
The Front National leader hit out against the French political and media establishment, saying that the system had attempted to “choke political debate”. Her victory ensured that the debate could now happen, she said.
“What is at stake here is a wild type of globalisation endangering our country,” she said, claiming it is time for France to not just vote in establishment candidates, “who have done nothing” but bring in new policies and new faces into government. “It is time to release the French people of arrogant elites who want to dictate their conduct,” she added.
Le Pen called on all French patriots to support her regardless of their background or what candidate they voted for in the first round, saying that “the survival of France” was at stake in the upcoming second round.
Finally, she invoked World War Two hero and former French President Charles De Gaulle saying, “the grandeur of the people, only proceeds from the people.”
Polls show that Le Pen may face an uphill battle against Macron on May 7th – all head to head polls show Macron with a comfortable lead.
Le Pen has promised to not only restore order to French streets, which has earned her more support from police officers than any other candidate but also to hold a referendum on the membership of France in the European Union.
