Failure of Le Pen and the National Rally
The Rassemblement National (RN), France's far-right party, has made a significant comeback in the recent parliamentary runoff, securing 143 seats—an increase from the 89 deputies it had after the 2022 elections. However, this victory has been met with controversy and criticism.
Despite the setback in the 2022 elections, the RN has managed to leverage its deep roots in various regions of France to its advantage. The party's significant presence in the parliamentary runoff has raised concerns about potential conflicts with the New Popular Front and other parties.
The RN's success in the elections was predicted by Jordan Bardella, the party's designated prime minister, who confidently forecasted his party's victory before the second round. However, Marine Le Pen, the leader of the RN, described the result as a "victoire différée" - a delayed victory.
The RN's election campaign was criticised for a lack of concrete goals and plans in areas such as industry, energy, and foreign policy, and for the questionable character of some of its candidates. Some RN candidates have been accused of making racist, anti-Semitic, or misogynistic statements, and some have a long criminal record or are under legal guardianship.
The RN has been accused of attempting to use its defeat in the recent elections to claim that the mainstream parties are manipulating the results and opposing the people's vote. This claim has been met with scepticism, given the French electoral system's bias towards established parties and the need for broad local support to win seats.
The "front républicain," a democratic bulwark against right-wing extremism, played a significant role in the election results. Many voters, often against their own political preferences, voted for candidates other than the RN in the runoff elections.
The alliance of Emmanuel Macron's supporters, "Ensemble!", came in second with 156 mandates. The "Nouveau Front Populaire" won 178 seats in the parliamentary runoff.
In the aftermath of the elections, Gilles Pennelle, general director of the RN, resigned from his position. The stigma of the electability of the RN, whose founder once referred to the gas chambers of the Nazis as "a detail of history," still clings to it strongly.
More than ten million French people voted for the RN or its candidates in the recent elections. The RN's performance in the candidate debates was disappointing, with some candidates failing to answer even basic questions. Despite these setbacks, the RN sees itself as the only leading party and is unlikely to mediate conflicts, but will likely use them for its own image cultivation.
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