In the Daily podcast, the rise of France's far-right National Rally party is explored in the aftermath of its victory in the European Parliament elections. The blurb examines the party's rebranding efforts under leader Marine Le Pen, along with strategies to appeal to younger voters.
It also highlights President Macron's high-stakes decision to call snap legislative elections, a gamble aimed at halting the far-right's momentum. The blurb delves into potential consequences if the National Rally gains power, including stringent immigration policies, weakening of institutions, and a shift away from France's liberal democratic norms.
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Roger Cohen reports the National Rally, led by Marine Le Pen, won a decisive victory in France's European Parliament elections, securing over 30% of votes - more than double Macron's party. This result sent shockwaves through France's political establishment.
Le Pen has rebranded the party away from its extremist past, distancing from racism and anti-Semitism. She's moderated stances like opposing the EU and Euro. Meanwhile, the charismatic Jordan Bardella, 28, has helped attract youth support through savvy social media tactics.
Unexpectedly, Macron dissolved Parliament and called snap legislative elections, bypassing even his own PM. Cohen views this high-stakes move as an effort to regain momentum lost to the surging National Rally.
Macron seems to be betting French voters will reject the far-right National Rally in consequential domestic elections after venting frustrations in the European polls. But the country has drifted right as his popularity declines.
The National Rally plans stringent anti-immigration policies like border controls, deportations, a Muslim headscarf ban, and a security pivot.
They aim to curb independent judiciary power and state media seen as hostile to the right, Cohen notes, modeling strategies of Hungary's Orban and Poland's Kaczynski.
Cohen raises the possibility of a National Rally PM undermining France's liberal democratic norms and EU ties - a transformative break from the post-war era.
1-Page Summary
The National Rally's recent electoral triumphs are reshaping the French political landscape. With strategies that include outreach to young voters and distancing from an extremist past, the party is extending its sway.
Roger Cohen reports that the National Rally, led by Marine Le Pen, has won a significant victory, securing over 30% of the French vote in the European Parliament elections. This astounding result has caused widespread disarray within the country's political establishment, signifying a shaking of the traditional political lines.
Le Pen's National Rally, with its compelling election performance, garnered more than double the tally of votes compared to President Macron's party. This success has sent shockwaves throughout France's political system.
The repercussions of the National Rally's success have been far-reaching, indicating a possible realignment of political forces within France and potentially altering the nation's traditional bipartisan structure.
Marine Le Pen has been at the helm of the National Rally for approximately 15 years, steering the party through significant changes and a comprehensive rebranding effort.
The party, previously known as the National Front, has seen substantial restructuring under Le Pen's guidance. She has been instrumental in shunning many of the hard-line stances that were synonymous with her father Jean-Marie Le Pen's tenure. Efforts to cleanse the party's image of anti-Semiti ...
The National Rally's electoral success and growing political influence in France
Cohen provides an analysis of French President Emmanuel Macron's decision to dissolve Parliament and call new legislative elections, a move indicative of his willingness to take high-risk political bets.
Macron's decision to dissolve Parliament and call for new legislative elections following the European Parliament election results was both sudden and unilateral. The president took this drastic action without consulting his prime minister, Gabriel Attell, whom he had appointed just months earlier in January. The move was determined in a tight circle of four or five advisors and garnered critical reactions within the government, with a photograph from Élysée depicting a dumbfounded Attell upon hearing the announcement.
Macron’s unilateral decision to dissolve Parliament, bypassing consultation with Prime Minister Attell, was a dramatic and controversial political play. His method, exclusive to a small advisory team, drew ire from other government quarters.
Cohen interprets Macron’s action as a high-stakes bid to recapture the political initiative at a time when the far-right National Rally appeared to be gaining strength.
Macron is viewed as betting on the propensity of the French electorate to delineate their sentiments between less consequential and more important elections. He is taking a calculated risk by assuming that the French, after expressing their frustrations in the European Parliament elections, will not vote the same way in a domestic context.
The president s ...
Macron's political gamble in calling snap elections
The rise of the National Rally in France could herald significant shifts in national policy, particularly regarding immigration, national security, and institutional independence.
If the National Rally gains power, they are expected to implement a stringent anti-immigration agenda that could reshape France's cultural and political landscape.
The National Rally has plans to introduce selective controls at borders and a "second border" that would limit the ability of legal immigrants in other Schengen countries from entering France. They propose to reduce the immigrant presence in the country, make it simpler to deport immigrants who have either committed crimes or insulted the republic, and impose a ban on the Muslim headscarf in public places. Additionally, they want to reinforce the police force and pivot towards greater security within the country.
Furthermore, the National Rally aims to diminish the power of independent institutions. They plan to chip away at the independent judiciary's power and express disdain for state media, accusing it of harboring hostility towards the right, even suggesting it should be dismantled.
The National Rally appears to be taking cues from other illiberal democracies in Europe, setting a precedent that might fundamentally alter France's political fabric.
By looking to leaders like Viktor Orban in Hungary and ...
Potential policy implications if the National Rally gains power
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