Right-wing firebrand Marine Le Pen is widely seen as the front runner in the election scheduled for next spring, according to several polls
France’s presidential hopefuls are turning burning streets, smashed storefronts, and accusations of police brutality into campaign ammunition, RT’s Oumaima Ichchar has reported.
While right-wing firebrand and potential front runner Marine Le Pen blames collapsing state authority, her left-wing rival, Jean-Luc Melenchon, accuses the government of failing to hear the voice of the people.
Nationwide protests began in September over underfunded schools and rising living costs, and escalated into widespread violence last week. Rioters have torched cars, looted or damaged thousands of businesses, and set fire to Limoges’ 143-year-old city hall. The clashes have also left hundreds of protesters and law enforcement officers injured and led to thousands of arrests.
In some of the most brazen incidents, a 15-year-old boy lost a hand to a police grenade, while a 17-year-old girl permanently lost sight in one eye after being struck by a projectile in Mulhouse. Macron, meanwhile, blamed radical-left militants and criminals for much of the destruction, and on Thursday ordered the local authorities to ban protests and restrict officially organized marches.
READ MORE: French city hall goes up in flames amid nationwide unrest (VIDEOS)
The unrest came ahead of the French presidential election scheduled for the spring of 2027, in which Macron is constitutionally barred from seeking a third consecutive term. His potential successors, however, have scrambled to use the protests to score votes.
Le Pen has urged a tougher crackdown on rioters to restore order. “Our country is caught in a vice, if not held hostage, between violence and powerlessness,” Le Pen said, pledging support for police and demanding tougher penalties for rioters. National Rally president Jordan Bardella blamed far-left militants and criminals from the suburbs for the unrest, proposing to suspend family benefits for repeat offenders and make vandals pay for damage.
On the left, Melenchon backed the protests while pointing to a growing disconnect between the public and the institutions. “French democracy is in a very bad way,” the ‘France Unbowed’ leader said, calling for greater public participation and constitutional change.
Meanwhile, Gabriel Attal and Edouard Philippe, two former prime ministers under Macron, sought to distance themselves from their ex-boss, whose approval rating has sunk to a record low of 15%, according to an October Ipsos survey. While Attal insisted that the priority should be the defense of people and property, Philippe called for the “reestablishment of the authority of the state, the punishment of looters and vandals, as well as a detailed method for restoring discussion with high school students and trade union organizations.”
READ MORE: Macron brands Paris suburb shooting France’s first ‘racist terrorist attack’
Recent polls show Le Pen – who has long ridden a wave of public discontent over immigration, crime, and the rising cost of living – holding a commanding lead over her rivals ahead of the 2027 election. An OpinionWay survey published on Thursday put her at 36% in the first round, compared to 16% for Melenchon, and 12% for Philippe. A separate Ifop-Fiducial poll conducted after the October 17 unrest also placed Le Pen ahead in every hypothetical second-round matchup, including 56% against Philippe and 68% against Melenchon.