Far-right sends shockwaves in France after electoral breakthrough

France's far right scored a historic victory in Sunday's (19 June) legislative elections. This increased its number of legislators almost tenfold and solidified the party's rise to mainstream opposition status.

Marine Le Pen, who took the helm in 2011 of the party, has worked to rid the National Front (now called the National Rally) of the anti-Semitic image that it had acquired under her father Jean-Marie Le Pen's nearly 40-year-old leadership.

Le Pen secured 42% in the April presidential election. He had already tapped into disenchantment towards President Emmanuel Macron, and identified anger across the country about the rising cost and decline of many rural communities.

She went one step further on Sunday. Le Pen's party is expected to win between 85-90 seats. This increase from the two 2012 and eight 2017 elections could make it second largest party in parliament. According to major pollsters, only 25-50 seats were estimated by last week.

After being reelected in northern France, Le Pen declared to reporters that he had achieved his three goals: making Emmanuel Macron a minority President, without power control, and pursuing the political recomposition necessary to democratic renewal.

"And of forming a decisive group against the deconstructors (from above, the Macronists and from below the Nupes," she said. She was referring to the left wing coalition, which should be the largest opposition bloc within parliament but whose main far-left party La France Insoumise is expected to win fewer votes than the RN.

Sunday's results killed the so-called "republicanfront" of voters from all stripes who had backed a mainstream candidate to stop the far-right moving forward.

It also validated Le Pen's strategy of recasting the party's image while refusing to join forces after the presidential election with Eric Zemmour, a pundit turned-nationalist politician.

Although Le Pen's party is not likely to win as many seats as the left-wing grouping, this will allow the RN to gain more weight in parliament.

It will be able, for instance, to present no-confidence votes against government, send legislation to France's top constitution courts, and lead parliamentary committees.

France 2 television reported that Bruno Le Maire, Finance Minister, said: "We are facing an unexpected democratic shock due to a very strong breakthrough by the Rassemblement National."

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