Far-Right France : Le Pen, Bardella and the Future of Europe

The story of the French far right’s unstoppable rise–from the woes of a broken society to the powerful personalities upending the status quo. France’s next presidential election is due by 2027 at the latest; and the far-right Rassemblement National is favoured to win. Founded by the antisemitic Jean-Marie Le Pen, the RN–previously the Front National–was a fringe entity until daughter Marine took over. She ‘detoxified’ the party, then brought in telegenic young protégé Jordan Bardella as its face in the 2020s. Together, they echo voters’ economic grievances and disgust at French political culture, while blasting ‘mass immigration’ of Muslims and foreign ‘criminals’–all starkly reminiscent of Donald Trump’s strategy in winning the White House. France–central to the European project–is the far right’s next great prize. In 2024, the RN became the largest party in both the EU Parliament and the French Assembly. In vivid, sharp prose, from the halls of power to the campaign trail, veteran correspondent Victor Mallet explains how the far right won over the country and became a government in waiting–one preparing to transform France, Europe and the world.