Shock Defeat: National Rally's Setback in French Parliamentary Elections

The far-right National Rally, led by Marine Le Pen, faced an unexpected defeat in the French parliamentary elections. Despite predictions of a majority win, the party came third. Tactical alliances among centrist and leftist opponents thwarted their success. The result highlights the party's internal issues and future challenges.

The champagne was on ice at the far-right National Rally's (RN) headquarters, but the celebratory mood swiftly turned to disbelief when the first projected results from Sunday's parliamentary election appeared on TV screens. For days, Marine Le Pen had confidently predicted that her party would triumph with an outright majority and her protege Jordan Bardella would be prime minister. Instead, the National Rally was on course to come third, behind a left-wing alliance and President Emmanuel Macron's centrist bloc.

The RN's setback was largely due to tactical dealmaking between centrist and leftist opponents, who pulled more than 200 candidates from three-way races to avoid splitting the anti-RN vote. This result marked a significant halt to the far right's perceived rise in France, painstakingly orchestrated by Le Pen to refurbish her party's image and appeal to voters disgruntled over living costs, public services, and immigration.

Marine Le Pen and her party are no strangers to disappointment—most recently, her 2022 defeat to Macron in the presidential election—but the outcome of this parliamentary race was particularly bitter. Despite increasing their share of seats in the National Assembly, the result fell well short of expectations, leaving the party introspective about its future strategies.

(With inputs from agencies.)