This summer, France’s political landscape was under the control of the far-right. The Rassemblement National (RN), which succeeded the Front National known for its racist views, made a strong showing in the European Parliament elections. This success was a great surprise for many political leaders. Before the elections for the Assemblée Nationale, the RN seemed likely to gain most of the votes and to govern in France.
To stop the RN from getting power, different parties joined together and made efforts for this purpose. This teamwork kept the far-right party from reaching its goal. However, RN leaders Marine Le Pen and Jordan Bardellla both were upset with these efforts but they took it as a small issue. They noted that RN is working hard to win the 2027 presidential race and also got much support in the election. However, they are hoping for a bigger win.
France is a nation known for its values and equality and the rise of far-right in this country is very strange and puzzling. The main objective of RN is to enhance public spending. They also want to cut taxes and create a divide between “born French” people and immigrants, especially Muslims.
This trend is part of a global rise in extreme nationalism, where leaders offer simple solutions to complex problems in the name of patriotism. Many countries are seeing this as globalization disrupts society and social media splits information.
The RN’s success is surprising because it doesn’t do well in big cities. This suggests that the party connects more with people’s frustrations than with practical ideas or urban support.
Why do rural areas stand in favour of the far-right?
The movement is powerful in the rural areas of the north-west, north-east, and especially the south-east (Provence). All of these regions are important to understanding the complexities and possible solutions.
Let’s take the example of the south-west village. Back to ten years, when most people cast their bite in favour of centre-left. But recently the interest of people has changed and they
support RN.
The village is free of any social problems, has few numbers of immigrants and no nay asylum seekers. Despite this fact, RN won a majority in the recent election campaign. This shift highlights that the success of any party does not depend upon economic or social issues.
The rural people do believe in the fact that giving jobs to patriots will solve the economic problems. The RN said that it has support but many new supporters do not pay any attention to immigration or security.
In the countryside, services like healthcare are poor, and people struggle with the cost of running cars to get around. One villager said he can’t find a doctor because they’re all too busy.
Voting for the RN is often a protest against politicians in Paris, who seem disconnected from rural life.
The success of RN is a sign of the president’s leadership. Many see him as distant and privileged, not connected to regular people. While he may think he listens, people view him as arrogantly pushing his ideas.
On the other side, Marine Le Pen has been busy improving her party’s image after losing the last election campaign. Making her party seem normal is one of her biggest successes.
In recent years, Marine Le Pen’s National Rally (RN) has gained the attention of many people because he is one of the opponents of Macron. While other political groups remain divided, Le Pen has made the RN seem like a realistic option to many voters. Some, like one voter who switched from left to right, believe the RN can’t do worse than the current government and could at least bring change.
Nowadays, France’s political landscape is not stable. If mainstream politicians focus on the public frustration, they can lessen the growing tensions. If not, the RN continue to make promises and appeal to votes.
According to the mayor of the village,
“It is no good telling people they are wrong to vote for the RN.”
“This is not a political problem but a cultural one. We have to offer something better. We need to transform the political culture of this country so no one feels they have been failed or haven’t been heard.”
