Marine Le Pen pledges to scrap France's 2017 oil ban if elected

At a rally in Orléans, Marine Le Pen declared her intention to abolish the 2017 French law that banned fresh exploration licences for hydrocarbons and shale gas, labeling it the "stupid Hulot law." She argued that reviving oil prospecting would help revitalize the nation, echoing similar pro-drilling rhetoric elsewhere. The speech, part of the National Rally's campaign launch, also revisited her usual nationalist and anti-immigration themes, portraying France as ruined by current leaders.

Le Pen, now 58, is running for president for the fourth time and is viewed as the frontrunner to succeed President Emmanuel Macron, who cannot seek a third term. Supporters responded with chants of "We’re going to win" and "Marine, president."