Prospects for France’s far right are strong

Significance

Presidential and legislative elections this year underscored the party's growing strength, In the parliamentary polls, RN’s number of seats in the National Assembly increased tenfold. Opinion polls show that the party is regarded as less extreme than in the past and that more voters respond positively to its policy positions.

Impacts

• Advocating welfare policies that favour natives over migrants will become an increasingly salient policy associated with far-right parties.
• The rise of far-right parties in several EU states could undermine the EU’s crackdown on rule of law issues in Hungary and Poland.
• The centre-right Republicans' leadership election in December will be critical for that party’s parliamentary support for the government.
• Divisions within RN over its future direction could help revive Eric Zemmour’s far-right agenda.