Marine Le Pen, the leader of the National Rally party in France, has hailed the growing popularity of populism in the country after her party won the most seats in the National Assembly, with a total of 143, surpassing the number it secured in the last elections. The victory marks a significant increase from the two seats held by the party when Le Pen took over as leader in 2012.
Le Pen’s triumph comes despite a backroom deal between President Emmanuel Macron and the far-left New Popular Front group, which involved both parties standing down in selective races to boost support for their respective sides. This arrangement prevented Marine Le Pen’s National Rally from securing a majority in the National Assembly, with the New Popular Front coming out on top with an estimated 184 seats and Macron’s group securing 166 seats.
Despite this setback, Le Pen insists that her party’s victory is only postponed and that the “rising tide” of populism in France will continue to grow. The strong showing for National Rally establishes it as a force to be reckoned with in the National Assembly and positions Marine Le Pen well for a potential run in the French presidential election in 2027.
Macron, who has been successful at rallying neo-liberals and leftists around the fear of the so-called “far-right” in previous elections, will be unable to run again due to term limits. His future government may rely heavily on communists and socialists, who have deep ideological disagreements with the president on economics and international policy, making it difficult for Macron to navigate the current political climate.
Furthermore, France is facing a looming debt crisis that could escalate into a full-blown economic disaster, with debt rising to over 3 trillion euros ($3.2 trillion) or approximately 110% of GDP. This crisis may be further exacerbated by Macron’s new far-left partners, who have demanded that the rise in pension age be reversed back to 60.
Le Pen will remain out of government and can capitalize on this situation, blaming the economic hardships faced by ordinary French citizens on elites like Macron and his far-left partners. This could provide her party with another significant issue to campaign on in the 2027 presidential election, alongside their opposition to mass migration.