France’s far-right National Rally gains ground in Senate vote
Al Jazeera
Al Jazeera
Original Source
France's far-right National Rally party has achieved a record 14 seats in the Senate following Sunday's elections, quadrupling its representation and forming its first-ever parliamentary caucus just months before a presidential election. Party leader Marine Le Pen, who is preparing to run for president, described the results as a historic victory marking a major political milestone.
France’s far-right National Rally (RN) party and its allies have secured a record 14 seats in the Senate, effectively quadrupling its number in the 348-seat chamber just months before a presidential election.
Sunday’s indirect election of senators marked the first time Marine Le Pen’s party won enough seats to form its own caucus.
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“The results have exceeded our expectations,” Le Pen, the party’s leader and presidential candidate, said in a post on X.
“This is a historic victory, and a major milestone with the formation for the first time of a group in the Senate.”
RN entered the Senate for the first time with two seats in 2014, when it was known as the National Front, and won three seats in 2023.
It emerged as the single largest party in the lower-house National Assembly after President Emmanuel Macron called snap polls in 2024, though it fell well short of a majority.
Le Pen is preparing to run in next year’s presidential election when centrist Macron steps down.
RN president Jordan Bardella said the party’s senators would form an alliance with the Union of the Right for the Republic (UDR).
The right, centre and left-wing Socialists looked set to remain the three major forces in the upper house, according to initial results.
Sunday’s indirect election of senators marked the first time Marine Le Pen’s party won enough seats to form its own caucus.
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“The results have exceeded our expectations,” Le Pen, the party’s leader and presidential candidate, said in a post on X.
“This is a historic victory, and a major milestone with the formation for the first time of a group in the Senate.”
RN entered the Senate for the first time with two seats in 2014, when it was known as the National Front, and won three seats in 2023.
It emerged as the single largest party in the lower-house National Assembly after President Emmanuel Macron called snap polls in 2024, though it fell well short of a majority.
Le Pen is preparing to run in next year’s presidential election when centrist Macron steps down.
RN president Jordan Bardella said the party’s senators would form an alliance with the Union of the Right for the Republic (UDR).
The right, centre and left-wing Socialists looked set to remain the three major forces in the upper house, according to initial results.
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Tags:#فرنسا#التجمع الوطني#الانتخابات#مجلس الشيوخ#مارين لوبان#اليمين المتطرف
Source: Al Jazeera
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