Rassemblement national at a glance

Flag of France

Front National / Rassemblement national

National Front / National Rally

Right-wing populist

Flag of EU-Parliament

Patriots for Europe

Group in the European Parliament
The Rassemblement National (RN), formerly known as Front National, is a right-wing populist to far-right party in France. Founded in 1972 by Jean-Marie Le Pen, it has been led by his daughter Marine Le Pen since 2011. The party is known for its nationalist and EU-skeptical positions as well as its strict stance against immigration. Under Marine Le Pen, the RN has attempted to moderate its image and present itself as a patriotic alternative. In the 2022 parliamentary elections, the party became the largest opposition party in the National Assembly.
History and Development of the Party
The Rassemblement National (RN) was founded in 1972 as Front National by Jean-Marie Le Pen to unite various far-right movements in France. Initially, the party had little political influence but gained significance in the 1980s. Under the leadership of Marine Le Pen since 2011, the party underwent a process of 'de-demonization' to appeal to a wider voter segment. In 2018, it was renamed Rassemblement National to signal a fresh start.
Political Orientation and Program
The RN represents a nationalist and EU-skeptical ideology. The party demands strict control of immigration, the protection of national identity, and strengthening national sovereignty against the European Union. Economically, the RN advocates for protectionism and emphasizes the importance of public services. In recent years, the party has moderated its positions in some areas to be more electable to a broader audience.
Current Political Significance
In June 2024, the party led by Jordan Bardella won the European elections with 31.4% of the votes, which prompted President Emmanuel Macron to dissolve the National Assembly and call for new elections.
Political orientation
Conservative
Social
Market
Progressive
Position on the EU
Anti-EU
Pro-EU

Positions and stances

Position 2024
Position 2019
Economy & state
Should income and wealth be redistributed?
Pro redistribution
Against redistribution
How should the state use a budget surplus?
Invest
Reduce debt and cut taxes
Should the local economy be protected?
Free global trade
Protect the local economy
Society & values
What matters more: freedom or security?
Maximum freedom
Security
Should gender equality for women be actively promoted?
Support
Oppose
Should equality for LGBTQ+ people be actively promoted?
Support
Oppose
Should same-sex marriage be legal?
In favour
Against
What role should religion play in politics?
Separation of church and state
Close link between church and state
Should policy focus on cities or rural areas?
Focus on cities
Focus on rural areas
Environment & globalization
What matters more: the environment or the economy?
Environmental protection matters more than economic growth
Economic growth matters more than environmental protection
What matters more: climate action or the economy?
Climate action matters more than economic growth
Economic growth matters more than climate action
Migration & integration
How should immigration policy be regulated?
Open
Strict
How should immigrant integration work?
Multicultural society
Homogeneous society
Should ethnic minorities have more rights?
More rights
Fewer rights
What role should nation-states play?
An open world without borders
Strong nation-states
Democracy & institutions
How should power be distributed?
Distributed power
Strong ruler/leader
How independent should the judiciary be?
Fully independent
Dependent on government
How should the state be organized: federal or centralized?
Federalism
Centralization
Parties in France compared
Policy positions of all parties at a glance

Issue priorities

The chart shows which issues matter most to the party. The further out a point is, the higher the importance.

Historical election results

Rassemblement national: Historical election results in France

Historical participation in government since 1945

Historical participation in government since 1945
Led the government
In government
No government participation so far
0

Total cabinets

Total duration: -
0

Cabinets led

Total duration: -
0

Coalition participation

Total duration: -
0%

Overall share of time in government

The party was part of the government for 0% of the possible time in office.

Sources of data and information

PolitPro

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Found a mistake?

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ParlGov – Parliamentary Democracy Data

Long-running research data from the University of Bremen. It documents political parties and governments and enables systematic political comparison.
More
Döring, Holger and Philip Manow. 2024. Parliaments and governments database (ParlGov): Information on parties, elections and cabinets in established democracies.

CHES – Chapel Hill Expert Survey

Europe’s most important expert survey on party positions. More than 400 political scientists from different countries assess party positions based on scientific criteria.
More
Rovny, Jan, Ryan Bakker, Liesbet Hooghe, Seth Jolly, Gary Marks, Jonathan Polk, Marco Steenbergen, and Milada Vachudova. “25 Years of Political Party Positions in Europe: The Chapel Hill Expert Survey, 1999-2024,”