The National Rally MP from the North, Sébastien Chenu, and the President of the National Rally group, Marine Le Pen, were seen at the National Assembly on October 21, 2024. Marine Le Pen has been dreaming of competing with, dislodging, and ultimately replacing the right for over a decade. The right has, in a sense, made her dream come true by largely absenting themselves from the National Assembly during the first week of budget debate, leaving the National Rally (RN) alone against the left. This unexpected opportunity has allowed the far-right to position itself as a liberal bulwark against the proposed taxes of the left, even if it means making some compromises.
After years of criticizing the abolition of the solidarity tax on wealth and the “flat tax”, which aims to tax capital income less heavily than labor income, the far-right has now saved these two key elements of Emmanuel Macron’s tax policy. This change in stance is seen as a strategic move to attract liberal and entrepreneurial voters who may still be missing from their base. The party is now aiming to unite those who supported Nicolas Sarkozy in the 2007 elections, appealing to the “patriotic bourgeoisie and elite” and adding them to the already supportive working class. The National Rally now plans to capitalize on its parliamentary niche by pressuring the right on security issues.
The National Rally’s first of six proposed laws will focus on repealing the pension reform. However, due to the commission of social affairs stripping the text of its substance, it is expected that the President of the National Assembly will censor any amendments proposed by the far-right to restore the original version. With this opportunity to challenge the left lost, Marine Le Pen and her party will concentrate on two key promises of the right: the expulsion of immigrants guilty of crimes and the re-establishment of minimum sentences. This strategy aims to showcase the coherence of their opponents and the government, potentially leading to an unprecedented success for the National Rally.
Marine Le Pen and the National Rally are aiming to exploit the divisions within the right and to position themselves as the only viable alternative to the current government. By aligning themselves with elements of the right’s traditional platform while also appealing to new voter bases, the far-right is attempting to reshape the political landscape in their favor. However, their success will ultimately depend on their ability to maintain this delicate balance between attracting new supporters and appeasing their core base. In the upcoming parliamentary session, they will try to push through their agenda and force their opponents to confront the challenges posed by their populist and nationalist ideology.
