Marine Le Pen’s far-right Rassemblement National is pursuing a “normalisation” strategy to continue its long ascent after a seismic breakthrough in June parliamentary elections. Most recently, the party voted in favour of President Emmanuel Macron’s cost of living bill – aiming to present its MPs as the picture of professionalism, ready for government.
Two months on, the shockwaves still reverberate from the French parliamentary polls. Rassemblement National (National Rally or RN) won 89 seats – an outcome no polls and precious few experts had predicted; an unprecedented performance for an outfit that won just eight seats five years before as the Front National.
