Marine Le Pen, the leader of the nationalist party, emphasized housing issues and the cost of living crisis in her first major election speech on Sunday in the city of Hénin-Beaumont, which was once a mining center in northern France. She promised French citizens that they would be prioritized in their own country and deemed this right natural and fair for all French citizens.
Emphasis on National Priority
Le Pen stated that the "national priority" policy pertains to housing, especially regarding access to social housing. She emphasized that under her leadership, French citizens would have "more rights than others" in their own country. These statements clearly reflect her efforts to garner voter support by emphasizing citizenship rights.
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She also addressed the cost of living crisis, promising to resolve existing issues in both social and private housing sectors. Le Pen criticized environmental and administrative constraints in planning laws and pledged to reduce VAT from 20% to 5.5% for gas, electricity, and heating oil. She also criticized taxes, stating: "Where does the money go when taxes and fees increase while services provided to French citizens are collapsing?"
Response to Protests and Citizen Support
While Le Pen was speaking to her supporters in Hénin-Beaumont, some anti-fascist activists protested outside the train station, emphasizing that many residents of the area strongly oppose the extremist views of the nationalist party. Ludivine, one of the activists, said: "We are in post-industrial areas where unemployment is rising, and the narrative that all problems are due to the policies of the nationalist party is rapidly spreading."
Meanwhile, support for Le Pen seems to be increasing among some residents of Hénin-Beaumont. During her speech, she managed to encourage supporters to sing "Happy Birthday" for Jordan Bardella, a potential candidate for the French prime minister, indicating solidarity among the leaders of the nationalist party.
Despite criticisms and protests, local residents continue to support Le Pen. One resident named Cathy said that in the past, the nationalist party's positions were "harder to defend," but now she thinks Le Pen is "very brave." This local support may indicate a shift in public attitude towards the nationalist party.
As Le Pen continues her work and strives to improve her party's image, it remains to be seen whether her policies can help resolve social and economic crises in France or not.
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