Presidential Campaign Launch - March 9, 2017

Marine Le Pen, member of the national assembly, ran for French President in 2017. This speech was her campaign launch, delivered in Lyon on February 5, 2017.

Ladies and gentlemen, dear fellow many country men and women, both from metropolitan France as well as from overseas. If so many of you are here today it is because you have understood, especially in the light of recent events, that against the candidates, either left wing or right wing, but both guided by financial interests, I am the candidate of the people. Indeed, in all respect, this presidential election is nothing like the previous ones; it opens the crucial debate at which the foundations of our country are at stake. Its outcome will determine whether France will remain a free nation; and for those of our fellow countrymen and women who like us, feel French above all, it will determine our existence as people.

Our leaders have chosen deregulated globalization; they dreamed of a happy unfortunate globalization but their dreams turned into a nightmare. Globalization is driven by the sole purpose of huge profit for the happy few, and operates on two levels. Globalization from the bottom results in massive immigration, and used as social dumping globalization from the top results in the savage merchandising and competing, directing the entire economy. Globalization, which used to be the effect of life with the growth of international trade, was turned into an ideology. It is called global economy, which refuses any limit or any regulation and therefore weakened the natural defenses of our nation and deprived it of all these descending attributes; borders, national currency, the power over its laws, economic policymaking, and it allowed the birth of a new form of globalization which is rapidly growing: Islamic fundamentalism.

Just as in any ideological struggle, Islamic fundamentalism has found useful idiots, agents more or less accomplices, who by cowardice blindness and humility is the progress and anchoring of this barbaric ideology; enemy of France, on our own French soil. In order to expand the supporters of these two adult ideologies, they give the illusions of embracing values, in reality, however, they falsely invoke the concept of freedom to establish their terrorism. It is like advocating the freedom of the Fox in the henhouse; the global economy promotes individualism radical Islam and terrorism. Globalization feeds on the denial of the fundamental pillars on which the French nation was founded and which most French people still regard as essential. The preeminence of the human being and sanctified status, individual liberties, and therefore individual create national consciousness and therefore, national solidarity, equality of all people, and therefore the refusal of submission--the principles we fight for--are engraved in our national motto. Liberty, Equality, Fraternity which stems from the principles of secularization resulting from a Christian heritage.

We cherish everything that unites the French people this ungraspable yet deep and comforting bond which creates in our hearts the sense of fraternity allowing us to face the future together. My project was presented to you this weekend it is inert political world the reticle any physical will and devoid of any result orientated culture my project is approached from three angles the revolution of patriotism, the revolution of proximity, and the revolution of Liberty.

Politics, politics on high levels which allow the country to regain its marks must induce meaning and create cohesion we believe it is time to revitalize national consciousness and to experience it in our daily lives; by teaching our children everything their country stood for and will stand for in the future, by teaching them to love their fellow countrymen to take pride in their history, and to be confident in the strength and forth over nation. We want every French citizen, whether enthusiastically engaging in a project or undergoing difficulties, to feel supported by the national community and by a careful and benevolent state. We want a strong state, we want a state that plays a strategic role in the economy and who could blame us for it is you the people who embody the state and what the state is, the instrument to fulfill your will.

We cannot call ourselves Patriots if we do not stand for national solidarity, which is the expression of a fundamental solidarity between the French people. This is why we will establish a priority for French nationals in matters such as attribution of social housing as well as employment. This principle will be added to the constitution contrary to the political establishment, we will promote proactive policy making dynamism, just as virtue, and patriotism because once again it is only together that we will succeed. But patriotism implies for a country to respect itself and to command respect to all especially to the people of different religions and different confessions who have been welcomed into our country I remind the obvious; they are not and they will never be any other laws and values in France and French laws and French values. We want France’s heritage to be transmitted we want a country that finally recognizes the value of work because the most important social measure is to give every French citizen a job, a paid job for which he or she receives an appropriate wage to remuneration; a job which enables people to live with dignity, a job that enables people to make plans for the future and to fulfill their lives.

The second revolution we need to engage in is the revolution of proximity local before global is a motto. Who could possibly believe, as the adepts of globalization proclaim, that it would be logical, environmentally friendly, or even economically sustainable to produce on one continent, transform on another, and consume on a third? We want a sustainable economy for France we can achieve the relocation of our production by a reasonable and calculated use of economic protectionism and by applying economic patriotism; these are normal economic tools although they are currently prohibited by the European Union. The most fundamental form of freedom is security it will be one of the priorities of my presidency. We will restore the authority of the state by enforcing republican law wherever it has become floated because of the lack of will and courage of previous governments. The way we will address crime and the Penal response to it can be resumed in two words: zero tolerance. Everyone has to admit that the EEU is a failure it did not keep any of its promises, especially regarding prosperity and security worse it has put us under his tutelage and on a very short leash. Who could possibly accept the status quo and just sit back while the system has harnessed us and does not work; and whose malfunctions are ruining us. This is why within six months after my election to the French presidency, I will hold a referendum on remaining or leaving the European Union. I will immediately engage negotiations with European partners, many of whom are also aspiring to regain their sovereignty. I will start negotiating with the tyrannical European system which no longer represents the project, but today is a mere appearances and hopefully one day will just be a bad memory. We welcome all of those who share the same love for France and who seek to participate in the national effort to put a country back on track, and together achieve the recovery of our nation. Patriots, you are all welcome.

The great repositioning of the political system has begun. With those who will join us, before the first round of the election, with those who will join us before the second round of the election, and those who will join us after a victory; we will form a presidential majority and after the legislative elections, a government of national unity. I believe in our victory; I believe in our victory because I know that an overwhelming majority of French people agree with our choices and share our views we have for mankind and for our nation. Other nations have shown us the way, these nations have shown us that the rise of the people against the establishment can become reality and how, as symbolized by our emblem with the blue rose, the impossible can become possible (inaudible) we have not given up being French yet. The rise of the people is a historic event. It signifies the end of the cycle, the tide of history has turned. It will carry us to the top and with us our country, France. Long live the people, long live the Republic, long live France. [Applause]