On Wednesday, September 30, French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu sent a letter to candidates for the upcoming presidential election, assuring them that he would ensure the mobilization of state services in strict impartiality, according to BFMTV, citing the Matignon government. The letter was sent less than seven months before the first round of the election, and Lecornu outlined three priorities for the proper conduct of the election, which is being prepared in a context of strong national and international tensions. The first priority is to "protect the candidates and allow each one to campaign," with Lecornu emphasizing that "no violence, no intimidation should prevent the expression of a candidacy." Another priority is "to prevent and combat foreign interference," a recurring concern of the executive. Last month, the Paris prosecutor's office announced an investigation into suspicions of Russian interference targeting Édouard Philippe, Gabriel Attal, and Raphaël Glucksmann. Lecornu also stated that he aims to "facilitate access to financing in accordance with the rules," considering that "the difficulties of opening a bank account or accessing credit should be taken into account early enough." This summer, Lecornu brought together representatives of the main French banks in order to guarantee political parties access to domestic financing. The goal, according to Lecornu, is to prevent candidates from resorting to foreign financing, a solution to which the National Rally had to resort in 2022. Marine Le Pen then turned to a Hungarian bank to obtain a loan of 10.7 million euros. In his letter, Lecornu also invites each candidate to designate an "interlocutor responsible for these issues" and to "report any difficulties encountered as soon as possible." "The confrontation of projects belongs to the candidates. The choice belongs to the French. The state must allow this freedom to be fully exercised. You can count on my commitment to ensure that this mission is fulfilled," concludes Lecornu.