EDITORIAL. Low prices, pesticides, Europe… the reasons for the contortions of the National Rally

The strategy of de-diabolism desired by the RN cannot, on its own, explain the changes of footing carried out on several subjects.

The parade of political leaders continued at the Agricultural Show throughout this last week of February. And some engaged in spectacular spins. We have seen, for example, Emmanuel Macron promise floor prices indexed to production costs to guarantee a minimum level of income for farmers. Until then, the government did not want to hear about it. But what is even more surprising are the contortions of the National Rally. This same floor price appeared in Marine Le Pen’s presidential program in 2022, as in 2017 and 2012.

The president of the RN, Jordan Bardella, nevertheless castigated a measure which he described as “poverty trap”, which would condemn French farmers to being victims of foreign competition. Marine Le Pen tried to hide the disagreement but in her entourage, some were dismayed by Jordan Bardella’s departure. Same head-to-head on the use of pesticides, initiated this time by Marine Le Pen. She denounced the use of glyphosate three years ago and now defends it.

These reversals result from the strategy of the RN, which seeks to ride on popular anger and to be reassuring, what Marine Le Pen calls the “demonization”. Even if it means promising everything… and its opposite. This is obvious in Europe. The party castigates her in every tone, describes her as “prison”, but he really doesn’t want to get out. Basically, through demagoguery, the RN has become the true party of “at the same time”. But these contradictions also have as their origin the emerging tensions within the far-right party.

The outlook for 2027

Jordan Bardella’s rating is increasingly overshadowing Marine Le Pen. Many executives consider that he would make a better candidate in 2027. Especially if Jean-Marie Le Pen’s daughter is convicted at the end of the year for embezzlement of public funds in the affair of fictitious assistants to the European Parliament. Until then, as a leader of the RN points out, Jordan Bardella will perhaps be able to boast the best score in the first round of an election in the entire history of the far-right party, if he collects at least 25% of the votes in the European elections. No doubt the reason why Marine Le Pen saw fit to confide on Wednesday, during her visit to the Agricultural Show, that she is “preparing for a fourth presidential candidacy”. As if some people doubted it.