Despite her party’s internal divisions, the Le Pen surge can’t be ignored.
Ahead of France’s snap parliamentary elections, Jordan Bardella, the National Rally’s leading candidate, declared that his party could only take power with an absolute majority. After the first round on 30 June, this seemed possible as the National Rally topped 297 of 577 local races. However, during the 7 July runoff, the party failed to capitalize on its early advantage. Despite its strong performance, the National Rally was blocked by tactical voting from its opposition, leading to a third-place finish with only 143 seats in parliament. Marine Le Pen, the party’s leader, insisted that this was merely a “postponed victory” for her party, while Bardella blamed what he called a “coalition of dishonour” between President Macron’s party and far-left forces.
Despite these setbacks, critical voices within the National Rally started questioning its internal strategy. Many felt the party was not just thwarted by external forces but had also suffered from its own failures, particularly the attempt to “professionalize” its operations. Issues arose around the selection of candidates, with Bardella acknowledging that there were “casting errors” that led to some members of the party being found to have made racist comments. Furthermore, one candidate was even discovered to have a criminal conviction for an armed hostage-taking, raising doubts about the party’s credibility.
As a result, Gilles Pennelle, the party’s director-general, resigned after the second-round vote. The internal turmoil, along with the failure to gain a decisive parliamentary victory, has put the National Rally’s leadership under significant pressure. Nevertheless, Le Pen remains confident that the surge of her party will eventually result in a breakthrough. Despite the challenges, the National Rally’s increasing influence in French politics remains undeniable, and Le Pen is likely to continue pushing for greater power in the upcoming political landscape.