The far-right National Rally party is negotiating with potential allies to form a team capable of leading the French government if they win early elections. The party is bringing in representatives from within its ranks and beyond, a lawmaker told Reuters on Thursday.
Public opinion polls show that for the first time, Marine Le Pen’s party could secure a majority of votes in the June 30 and July 7 elections, though not enough to govern alone.
The early elections will be held in two rounds on June 30 and July 7, three weeks after the National Rally triumphed in the European Parliament elections.
President Emmanuel Macron called for early elections after his center-right alliance lost in Sunday’s elections. This far-right victory has prompted French parties to define their candidates and prepare their programs.
The challenge for the Eurosceptic National Rally, known for its anti-immigration stance, is to transform its popularity into victory and convince voters it can be trusted to govern the country.
“All the work over the past years by Marine Le Pen has turned us into a party that can take on governance,” said National Rally lawmaker Laurent Jacobelli to Reuters.
“We have been working for months on an immigration plan,” he said, referring to the official residence of the Prime Minister. Part of this plan includes presenting candidates for France’s 577 constituencies, said Jacobelli, who is also a spokesperson for the National Rally.
He said dozens of candidates would come from the conservative Republican (LR) party, which is undergoing a dissolution process after its leader, Eric Ciotti, called for an alliance with the National Rally. The rest of the party leadership opposed and excluded him. Sources doubt whether Ciotti can attract so many candidates.
Jacobelli said that while the National Rally does not have a shadow government with a full list of potential ministers, it is considering forming a cabinet from within its ranks and beyond.
“What we want to do is form a government of national unity,” he said, using a term that usually implies a wide range of parties, but likely includes National Rally members, hardline conservatives, and non-partisan candidates.
The National Rally has struggled to win the trust of French voters to lead the country due to its radical policies and a decades-long consensus among major parties to unite against it.
However, under Le Pen and the party’s new leader, Jordan Bardella, the National Rally has improved its image, attracting an increasing number of French voters.
The National Rally advocates for protectionist economic policies. According to its program, only French citizens would enjoy child care benefits, and immigrants who do not work for more than a year would lose their right to stay. It has proposed higher public spending despite high debt levels, which would further increase borrowing costs.
A party pamphlet stated that lowering electricity prices and VAT on gas and fuel, at unspecified levels, along with a radical halt to immigration and a tough fight against crime, were National Rally priorities.
