Record-breaking Victory for the Rassemblement National in European Elections

Following the European election results that consecrated the Rassemblement National (RN) in France, President Emmanuel Macron announced the dissolution of the National Assembly in a brief speech on Sunday, June 9 at 9 pm. The repercussions of this decision will lead to the re-election of 3 deputies in Strasbourg on June 30 and July 7.

Described as a «surprise, a bold move, a grave decision», Emmanuel Macron’s choice to dissolve the National Assembly came in response to the European election results revealed at 8 pm, with RN at 31.5%, followed by the presidential majority at 15.2%, and the Socialist Party at 14%. Invoking the need to give voice to the sovereign people, Macron is sending the French, including the people of Strasbourg, back to the polls.

This decision will trigger fresh legislative elections in which Strasbourg will have to elect 3 new deputies. While the candidates, alliances, and details of the upcoming elections are yet to be determined, one thing is certain: the people will head to the polls on June 30 for the first round and on July 7 for the second round. More information will follow as it becomes available.

Strasbourg inhabitants will be involved in legislative elections once again, as a high-stakes gamble by Emmanuel Macron unfolds. A gamble can go either way, and this time, the President is taking everybody with him.

The Rassemblement National secured a record-breaking victory in the European elections in France on Sunday, with over 31% of the votes cast. Led by Jordan Bardella, the party achieved its best result ever in a national election without the need for a runoff. There is a potential to break Marine Le Pen‘s record of receiving the highest number of votes in a national election, with over 8,133,828 votes counted in 2022’s presidential race.

Jordan Bardella managed to achieve the best performance by a list in European elections in 40 years, echoing Simone Veil‘s victory with over 43% in 1984. This marks a significant shift in the history of the far-right party, which has previously struggled against a solid glass ceiling that now seems to have cracked open. Emerging dramatically on the French political scene in 1984 with 10.95% support in European elections, the National Front garnered the vote of 16.86% under Jean-Marie Le Pen’s leadership in the first round of the 2002 presidential race.

While Marine Le Pen made it to the presidential runoff twice, she always finished second in the first round. Her achievements now almost seem modest compared to Bardella’s performance on Sunday. The Rassemblement National’s success represents the culmination of a strategy to soften, normalize, and mainstream the party, which accelerated with the election of 88 deputies to the Assembly in 2012. Bardella, appointed president of the far-right party in November 2022, built his popularity by engaging young voters on social media platforms, boasting over a million followers on TikTok. During the campaign, several studies highlighted a smoothing out of the RN’s voter base.

The party’s traditional weak spot, its cadre, of which barely one in ten voted for Marine Le Pen in the first round of the 2022 presidential race, has now shifted allegiance. 20% of them expressed their intention to vote for Bardella in opinion surveys. Moreover, a quarter of individuals over 70 years old are now leaning towards Le Pen’s party, an increase of about ten points in two years. A similar trend is seen among retirees from higher income categories, previously resistant to the far-right, with their support for RN rising from 12% to 21% in recent voter intention surveys.

The RN’s historic performance in the European elections and the broadening of its voter base set the stage for Marine Le Pen’s fourth presidential candidacy in 2027, according to her associates. So far, Jean-Marie Le Pen’s daughter has only achieved one record: the lowest score for a candidate in the presidential runoff, apart from her father’s outcome.

Source: AFP