In first major campaign speech, Le Pen vows to put French citizens first

Marine Le Pen delivered her first major campaign speech in northern France on Sunday, pledging to put French citizens first and to address the cost-of-living and housing crises.

Le Pen put the housing and cost-of-living crises at the heart of her presidential campaign on Sunday, using her first major address in the former northern mining town of Hénin-Beaumont to promise French citizens they would be “first in their country” — regardless of skin color, religion or origin.

“We will guarantee every French citizen a natural and fair right, as is done in every country in the world,” said the leading figure of the far-right National Rally, declaring that French citizens would have “more rights in France than others” under her leadership.

Le Pen announced that a “national priority” policy would apply to housing, particularly regarding access to social housing.

The presidential candidate also spoke against the cost-of-living crisis, pledging to fix problems in the social housing sector as well as in the private sphere — blaming environmental and administrative restrictions that govern planning laws.

She also told her supporters she promised to cut VAT from 20% to 5.5% on gas, electricity and heating oil, while also criticizing taxes: “Where is the money going when taxes keep getting heavier, while the services provided to French citizens are being destroyed?”

Hénin-Beaumont: a National Rally stronghold

Over the years, Hénin-Beaumont, which has an estimated population of 26,000, has become a stronghold of the National Rally. Mayor Steeve Briois has been in power for 14 years, while Le Pen has represented the Pas-de-Calais department — where the town is located — since 2017 in the French National Assembly.

Nearly 20 years ago, she won her first political mandate as a regional councilor for the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region (now Hauts-de-France) in 1998.

“How can I express my gratitude for seeing so many of you again this year, here, in this beautiful former patriotic mining land,” Le Pen told the crowd on Sunday.

National Rally MP and party spokesman Laurent Jacobelli told Euronews that in his view it is clear why the party has won the support of locals.

“The Pas-de-Calais region used to be a mining hub, where people worked hard, paid taxes and gave everything to France to support their families and build homes. But they were left in the mud by globalization, by the failure of public services. Here we understood that sovereignty means something, that homeland and nation are important values,” he told Euronews.

“That is why Marine Le Pen has won the support of voters: because she is proving that sovereignty and reindustrialization are achievable.”

Although Jordan Bardella — who is running to become France’s next prime minister — did not address the crowd on Sunday, Le Pen had supporters sing him “Happy Birthday.” A show of unity, amid rumors of possible tensions between the two leading figures of the National Rally.

What do locals think of the National Rally?

Le Pen had a busy weekend: before heading to Hénin-Beaumont on Sunday, she met with deputies from her party at a closed-door political meeting in the coastal town of Le Touquet on Saturday.

But for locals, Le Pen’s visit was not the only item on the agenda: Sunday also marked the town’s annual flea market. Although Le Pen’s parade was canceled due to “weather conditions,” locals and residents of neighboring towns turned out in large numbers to sell their second-hand goods, undeterred by the rain.

Local resident Cathy told Euronews there was a time when the National Rally party’s stances were “harder to defend,” but that this is no longer her view today, describing Marine Le Pen as “very brave.”

Jean-Marie Le Pen, founder of the National Front (which preceded the National Rally) faced frequent legal challenges for racism, hate speech and Holocaust denial. Since taking over the party, his daughter, Marine Le Pen, has made considerable efforts to normalize her image — both inside and outside the country — as part of an effort to distance her from her father’s legacy.

Last week, the National Rally party found itself in the spotlight when the French regional newspaper Midi Libre published a video filmed in November 2025 showing several municipal police officers in Carcassonne making racist, sexist and conspiratorial comments during a night patrol.

Although the video’s release made headlines across France, local supporters said they had either not heard of it or did not pay much attention to it.

“I don’t think that just because we vote for Marine Le Pen we are racist,” replied Antoine, a 19-year-old National Rally activist, who did not comment on the specifics of the video when asked.

Meanwhile, many locals, like police officer Laurent, said they strongly supported Le Pen. For him, she fits his ideal presidential duty: “someone who prioritizes national interests and fights for the people.”

For Catherine, a local resident who works in Lille, local authorities do a good job of keeping the city safe, clean and with many activities for both young and old.

Many residents also praised local tax rates — the local council has continuously lowered the municipal property tax rate on buildings.

When asked about Marine Le Pen’s presidential candidacy for the 2027 elections, many locals said they supported her, but either did not comment on her specific policy proposals at the national level, or said they were not aware of the finer details.

A recent retiree, who has lived in Hénin-Beaumont for the past 25 years and spoke to Euronews on condition of anonymity, said the National Rally was doing everything it could to “amaze” locals.

“Many businesses here are run by Algerians, Moroccans and Tunisians. Some people think that if the National Rally is voted for, then all Arabs will leave, but we are French, we have French passports and many of us have dual citizenship.”

“I know many of my neighbors vote for the National Rally, but I turn a blind eye. We know how to live together here, as a community,” she said.

For Sanë, a local Spanish-Moroccan business owner, Marine Le Pen’s proposal to hold a referendum to ban the hijab in all public spaces is not a measure she can support.

“I don’t wear a headscarf, but for the rights of other women, I am against this kind of measure,” she told Euronews.

Meanwhile, activists from the local mining area’s anti-fascist collective (Collectif Anti-Fasciste du Bassin Minier) raised a protest banner outside the Hénin-Beaumont train station on Sunday.

Activist Ludivine told Euronews that there are many residents in Marine Le Pen’s electoral district who “stand firmly against the far right.”

“We are in abandoned post-industrial areas, where unemployment is rising, so the narrative that all of this is due to the various culprits of the National Rally is growing very fast,” she said.

A fellow activist, Laurence, emphasized: “The fact that the National Rally is in power does not eliminate the fact that many people are unhappy; they may stay silent, be afraid or not know how to express their opposition and resistance to the terrible and dangerous ideas embraced by this party.”

When asked for his opinion on the National Rally, a local businessman said he did not want to talk — not even on condition of anonymity — for fear he would have “problems” with local authorities.