Rassemblement national
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| Rassemblement national | |
|---|---|
| Name | Rassemblement national |
| Leader | Marine Le Pen |
| Foundation | 1972 (as Front National) |
| Country | France |
Rassemblement national is a French political party founded in 1972 that has evolved from a far-right group into a major force in contemporary French politics, competing in national elections against parties such as La République En Marche!, Les Républicains, and Parti Socialiste (France). It has been led by figures including Jean-Marie Le Pen and Marine Le Pen, and it has contested elections at municipal, regional, legislative, and European levels versus opponents like Emmanuel Macron, François Hollande, and Nicolas Sarkozy. The party’s trajectory intersects with events such as the 1986 French legislative election, the 2002 French presidential election, and debates over France’s role in the European Union and the Schengen Area.
History
The organization originated as the Front National in 1972, founded by activists linked to post-Algerian War networks, veterans of groups like the Organisation armée secrète and personalities from the aftermath of the May 1968 events. During the 1970s and 1980s it cultivated alliances with figures from the Ordre Nouveau and contested elections with platforms reacting to the 1973 oil crisis and immigration debates following the 1970s recession. Under Jean-Marie Le Pen the party gained parliamentary representation during the 1986 French legislative election using proportional representation and later reached the second round of the 2002 French presidential election after unexpected success that relegated Lionel Jospin to third place.
A process of institutionalization and electoral modernization continued into the 21st century, including leadership struggles between Jean-Marie Le Pen and his daughter Marine Le Pen, who formally assumed leadership in 2011 and pursued "dédiabolisation" policies drawing on advisers connected to think tanks and media strategists with links to Bruno Mégret’s split in 1999 and the formation of Mouvement National Républicain. Marine Le Pen led the party to the second round of the 2017 French presidential election against Emmanuel Macron and again to a strong showing in the 2019 European Parliament election in France. Internal changes included renaming to its current title, organizational reforms, and strategic repositioning amid competition from new movements like La France Insoumise and centrist coalitions.
Ideology and platform
The party’s platform emphasizes national sovereignty, positions on immigration, and critiques of supranational institutions including the European Union and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. It advocates policies on border control that reference debates surrounding the Schengen Agreement and proposes economic measures distinct from Ordoliberalism and mainstream Keynesian economics debates, including protectionist stances impacting relations with the World Trade Organization and proposals affecting sectors represented by unions such as the Confédération générale du travail and Force Ouvrière.
On social policy the party has advanced positions concerning secularism in the context of the 2004 French law on secularity and conspicuous religious symbols in schools and public debates tied to the Charlie Hebdo shooting and the November 2015 Paris attacks. It emphasizes law-and-order approaches with references to policing institutions like the National Gendarmerie and has proposed changes to institutions linked to justice such as the Cour de cassation and the Conseil constitutionnel. Its economic program has at times included welfare prioritization for nationals, tax reforms that contrast with policies of François Fillon and Édouard Philippe, and investment plans invoking industrial strategy seen in debates over the Automotive industry in France and companies like Renault and PSA Group.
Organization and leadership
The party’s leadership structure has featured a president, a political bureau, and local federations across regions such as Île-de-France, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, and Hauts-de-France. Key figures have included Jean-Marie Le Pen, Marine Le Pen, Jordan Bardella, and earlier dissidents like Bruno Mégret. It has maintained representation in institutions including the Assemblée nationale, the Sénat (France), and the European Parliament (European Union), and has engaged with municipal politics in cities like Perpignan and Hénin-Beaumont.
The party’s organizational changes have involved legal entity transformations, membership drives, and interactions with campaign finance rules overseen by bodies such as the Conseil constitutionnel and the Commission nationale des comptes de campagne et des financements politiques. International contacts have included meetings with parties like Alternative für Deutschland and Vox (Spain), as well as observers from groups such as the Freedom Party of Austria and policy exchanges referencing the Eastern Partnership and debates on NATO expansion.
Electoral performance
Electoral milestones include breakthrough representation in the 1986 French legislative election, Jean-Marie Le Pen’s 2002 presidential second-round placement, Marine Le Pen’s second-round results in the 2017 French presidential election and the party’s strong showing in the 2014 European Parliament election in France and 2019 European Parliament election in France. Regional and municipal successes have been recorded in the 2015 French regional elections and in local contests where candidates contested against lists from Les Républicains, Parti Socialiste (France), and centrist lists associated with MoDem.
In legislative elections the party has fluctuated between underrepresentation due to the two-round system exemplified by the 2017 French legislative election and increased seat totals in subsequent cycles, challenging traditional party dominance and influencing coalition dynamics in regional councils and in the European Conservatives and Reformists grouping prior to later realignments.
Controversies and legal issues
The party has been subject to legal challenges, controversies, and expulsions related to statements by leaders and members, including cases adjudicated by courts such as the Conseil d'État and the Cour de cassation. Notable controversies involve allegations of hate speech, Holocaust denial associated with figures linked to the party in the 1980s and 1990s, and internal disciplinary actions culminating in the expulsion of Jean-Marie Le Pen in 2015 following public remarks that provoked legal and public reactions.
Campaign finance investigations and disputes with electoral authorities over reimbursements and accounting practices have resulted in scrutiny by the Commission nationale des comptes de campagne et des financements politiques and judicial inquiries involving prosecutors such as the Tribunal de grande instance. International criticism has come from institutions including the European Parliament and civil society groups like LICRA and SOS Racisme, while debates over the party’s role in mainstream politics have involved commentators and intellectuals associated with institutions such as the Sciences Po and the Collège de France.