more and more practicing Catholics are voting to the far right

In 2019, 18% of practicing Catholics voted for the far right. During the European elections of June 9, 2024, they were 42%. Franceinfo went to meet the faithful in Yvelines to understand this change.

Practicing Catholics no longer stand in the way of the far right. A very clear lesson drawn from the latest Ifop survey, the French Institute of Public Opinion, for the newspaper The crossentitled “The vote of confessional electorates in the European elections”.

In 2019, 18% of them voted for far-right lists in the European elections. 42% of them made this choice during the elections of June 9, 2024. In detail, 32% chose the National Rally, 10% turned to Reconquest.

At the end of mass, in Rambouillet, in Yvelines, Florence almost finds it difficult to believe that she has chosen, for the first time in her life as a voter, a far-right list. “I don’tI did not vote for the National Rally, but for Marion Maréchal [parti Reconquête ! – ndlr]. I never thought I would do this one day!”

The program of the presidential majority, which she had supported until then, more than disappointed her. “The only concrete idea was to include abortion in the constitution. I said to myself ‘really? That’s all we can do?’ It seemed totally astonishing to me.” explains the faithful. Little by little, Florence made this path towards the extreme right vote, however, “I’m more of a moderate person, she continues, with a real concern for others, for the poorest.”

“The Lord, he doesn’t do much!”

Marc, a faithful member of the church of Rambouillet, in Yvelines

at franceinfo

The question of immigration and “everything that was from the extreme right, the fact that there was a rejection of foreigners, that bothered me a lot.” However, Florence believes that there “There has never been a solution, among moderate people, to really support migrants in a satisfactory way.”

Voting for the far right, an unprecedented choice also for Marc. The believer turned to the National Rally. “It’s a bit anti-Catholic! We should welcome everyone,” he is surprised before justifying himself: “He there is too much trouble in France! A lot of foreigners actually.”

Other issues have pushed practitioners to question their vote such as “the laws of bioethics which go in a frightening direction”, Elisabeth is moved. She feels shocked by the questions about assisted dying and does not know what to do with her vote in the legislative elections, on June 30 and July 7, 2024. In the European elections, on June 9, she voted for François’ Les Républicains list. -Xavier Bellamy.

For some faithful, like Claire, the shift to the far right happened a long time ago. “I already voted very right,” she confesses. But she believes that the current upheavals on the political scene have also brought more practitioners to her camp. According to her, “the argument of blocking the far left is working very, very strongly at the moment. Much more so than five, ten, twenty years ago, when the Catholic vote was rather fragmented.”

In front of this church in Rambouillet, this speech by “block the far left” replaced “slow down the progression of the extreme right.