French far-right leader Marine Le Pen addressed business executives on Thursday, urging them not to fear her party's policy proposals ahead of next year's presidential election. Speaking at the MEDEF annual meeting in Paris, Le Pen stated there was "no reason to fear us," emphasizing that entrepreneurs who reviewed her National Rally party's platform had "no reason to be alarmed."
Her remarks came as an OpinionWay poll conducted for MEDEF showed 82% of business leaders remain pessimistic about the economic impact of the next president's policies, regardless of the victor. The survey underscores investor anxiety as France prepares for a contentious budget battle and the April 2027 presidential election, where polls project Le Pen leading after the first round.
Le Pen's comments follow a period of market volatility, with major French equities hitting one-month lows earlier this week amid concerns over political risk and the government's deficit-reduction targets. Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu's minority administration faces a October 6 deadline to present its 2027 budget bill, with deficit targets expected to be finalized in the preceding weeks.
Potential rivals in the election include far-left leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon, center-right former Prime Minister Edouard Philippe, centrist Gabriel Attal, and center-left candidate Raphael Glucksmann. Opinion polling consistently places Le Pen at the forefront for the first round, with a projected strong position for the May 2027 runoff.
The political climate adds pressure to France's fiscal planning, as investors monitor whether Paris can stabilize public finances amid rising uncertainty ahead of the vote.
