Security
National Rally has attempted to position itself as the party of law and order, promising to slash welfare allowances and social assistance for families of repeat juvenile offenders.
Under the plans, teenagers aged 16 and above would be tried as adults.
France’s police forces, known for their violent crackdown on protests, would be granted an automatic “presumption of self-defence” in cases that involve violence.
But one of the most contentious issues to emerge from the National Rally’s security manifesto is barring dual-nationals from holding jobs in “sensitive strategic posts” like defence. These would be reserved for the French. Political opponents were quick to slam the proposal calling it discriminatory and hypocritical.
“The message you are sending is that when we are bi-national, we are half-national, we are in fact not real French and we would not be trusted to occupy positions of responsibility,” Gabriel Attal, the prime minister said during a TV debate.
Gerald Darmanin, the interior minister, added that such a policy would “divide the nation” and discriminate against the three-million French-Americans, French-Algerians, French-Portuguese, French-Moroccans living in France. He also pointed out that candidates who apply to highly sensitive government positions already undergo thorough security screenings.
“I don’t like this way of filtering the French,” Mr Darmanin said.
Foreign policy
On the international front, National Rally has promised to cut funding to the European Union by up to €3 billion a year to fund cuts to VAT at home.
The movement has pledged to continue supporting Ukraine, but Mr Bardella has signalled France’s military assistance could be significantly watered down.
The prime ministerial candidate has said he draws a “red line” at sending missiles, military equipment or French troops to the war-torn nation, because it is escalatory in the eyes of Moscow.
Ms Le Pen has often struggled to shed her reputation as a Putin apologist, especially after a picture of her and the Russian president has been used as a beating stick by her opponents.
And with a separate war raging in the Middle East, National Rally has said it opposes recognising a Palestinian state.