Marine Le Pen, leader of the far-right Rassemblement national (RN), is currently observing the French political scene with satisfaction as she sees her party emerging as a major player in the upcoming legislative elections. Le Pen believes that the dissolution of the National Assembly by President Emmanuel Macron has accelerated the course of history, leading to a confrontation between different political blocs in France. She predicts that the traditional right-wing party Les Républicains (LR) and Macron’s party Reconquête! are imploding, leaving the door open for the RN to consolidate its position.
Despite her claims of not aligning with the right and rejecting the idea of a union of the right-wing parties, Le Pen has been accepting defections from prominent figures such as Eric Ciotti, the president of LR, and Marion Maréchal, her niece who was expelled from Eric Zemmour’s Reconquête!. Le Pen believes that the recent unity within LR against Ciotti will not hold up in the face of the upcoming elections, and that more right-wing MPs may join the RN coalition if it secures a majority in the Assembly. She sees the supposed barrier between LR and RN as a dam under pressure from voters, with Ciotti’s defection being the first crack in the dam.
Le Pen is positioning herself against left-wing leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon, who she sees as an agent of chaos trying to disrupt everything including his own party, institutions, and elections for his own gain. Despite this, Le Pen acknowledges that Mélenchon remains a formidable opponent for the 2027 presidential election and predicts that his embrace of communalist politics will ultimately backfire. While she presents herself as a counterbalance to Mélenchon’s radicalism, Le Pen’s own party advocates for a major upheaval in the European Union, the rule of law, and social relationships, highlighting the stark ideological differences between the far-right and left.
As the legislative elections approach, Le Pen is optimistic about the RN’s prospects for success, viewing the current political landscape as an opportunity for her party to capitalize on the divisions within traditional parties and stake a claim at the forefront of French politics. She portrays herself as the vanguard of political change, ready to challenge the established order and transform French society according to her party’s nationalist and anti-immigration agenda. Le Pen’s vision of the future involves the continued fragmentation of the political landscape, with the RN emerging as a dominant force that can shape the direction of the country.
In her assessment of the post-Macron era, Le Pen envisions a France undergoing a process of reconfiguration, with the old political alignments breaking apart and new alliances forming. She sees the upcoming legislative elections as a critical moment that will determine the future direction of French politics and believes that the RN is well-positioned to benefit from the turmoil. Le Pen’s confidence in the RN’s ability to navigate this period of uncertainty reflects her belief in the party’s resilience and strategic acumen as it continues to challenge the mainstream political establishment and advocate for a more nationalist, protectionist, and Eurosceptic vision for France.
