Eric Zemmour says he will stand in French presidential election

Eric Zemmour, a ​politician with a prominent ​anti-Islam and anti-immigrant ‌stance, confirmed on ​Tuesday that he would stand in next year's French presidential election. • "I ‌can confirm to you that I will indeed be a candidate in the Presidential election," Zemmour, whose party is ‌called "Reconquest", told TF1 TV

• "I am standing so I ‌can try and keep a France that is French, and so that the future of our country remains French," he added • Zemmour, ⁠a ​former well-known ⁠newspaper journalist and TV commentator, had stood in the 2022 election ⁠when he won 7% of the votes in the first ​round

• Zemmour got a criminal conviction in 2020 for ⁠making remarks in which he called Muslim women and men wearing traditional ⁠religious ​clothing part of an "invasion" and a "colonization" • A poll on Monday showed that far-right leader Marine ⁠Le Pen and hard-left rival Jean-Luc Melenchon had consolidated their lead ⁠in voting ⁠intentions ahead of next year's presidential election

• Polls currently state Marine Le Pen as ‌likely ‌to win next year's election