French far right leader Marine Le Pen said on Thursday that business leaders had no reason to fear the economic policies of her National Rally party, as she prepared for an early presidential debate with other potential candidates.
Le Pen made the comments at the annual meeting of MEDEF, France’s largest business federation, amid growing investor concerns over the country’s budget and political uncertainty ahead of next year’s presidential election.
French blue-chip stocks fell to a one-month low earlier on Thursday as investors assessed the risks surrounding the government’s finances and the approaching election.
Le Pen said entrepreneurs who had studied the National Rally’s proposals should not be alarmed by the measures the party was proposing.
Opinion polls currently show Le Pen as a strong contender to win the first round of the presidential election in April. Polls have also suggested that far-left leader Jean Luc Melenchon, centrist former Prime Minister Edouard Philippe, former Prime Minister Gabriel Attal and center-left politician Raphael Glucksmann could emerge as potential rivals.
France is also facing a difficult budget battle. Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu’s minority government is expected to announce its target for the 2027 budget deficit in the coming weeks and must submit a budget bill to parliament by October 6.
An OpinionWay poll conducted for MEDEF found that 82% of business owners were pessimistic about the impact of the next president’s policies on the French economy, regardless of who wins the election.
The debate comes as investors and businesses closely watch France’s efforts to reduce its debt and regain control of public finances while political parties position themselves ahead of the presidential contest.
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