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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
World
Angelique Chrisafis in Soissons

‘We’ve all got to mobilise against the far right’: inside a French town that voted for Le Pen

Bardella and Le Pen
Marine Le Pen’s popular 28-year-old protege, Jordan Bardella, would end up as prime minister if the RN reaches a 289-seat majority. Photograph: Chang Martin/SIPA/Rex/Shutterstock

“Everyone is in total shock,” said Baptiste Lopata, a radiologist, sitting in his trade union office in the small northern French town of Soissons. “Now we’ve all got to mobilise against the far right.”

When Marine Le Pen’s anti-immigration, far-right National Rally (RN) won a historic victory in the European elections on Sunday night, its highest scores were here, in the north-eastern département of l’Aisne, where it won over 50%, and even 60% in some rural villages, compared with a 31% score nationwide.

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