Populist far-right leader Marine Le Pen is closer than ever to gain power in France after recent polls showed she is very likely to reach at least a second round of voting this spring in the two-stage electoral process.

She promised to hold a referendum within six months of her presidency on European Union membership, which she called a “nightmare”, to secure the country’s borders and to pull France out of Nato. She is also insisting to restore law and order in the country within five years.

Foreigners, she stressed, were eating up France’s social benefits and offering little in return.

Le Pen made a grim populist kick-off to her presidential campaign, warning thousands of supporters about two totalitarianisms, ‘globalisation’ and ‘Islamism’ that are threatening an already weakened country. She praised Donald Trump and the Americans who had elected him. The national interest must come first, she said.

“Our citizens are frightened by terrorism and weary of unemployment. We have drawn a programme for the hard workers of our nation but definitely not for the financial sector and the banks. After decades of cowardice and laissez-faire, our choice is a choice of civilisation. Will our children live in a country that is still French and democratic,” he said.

The French electorate is very angry with France’s culture of privilege for politicians.

The scandal affecting presidential candidate Francois Fillon at this delicate phase of campaigning is only helping to propel Le Pen’s far-right National Front. What was tolerated 10 years ago by the French will no longer be tolerated now with Le Pen gaining new support every second.

If Le Pen triumphs in the forthcoming elections, European leaders will be faced with a truly dire challenge, one that threatens to spell the end of the EU.