The National Rally relies on the regional press to get people talking about its ideas

On February 25, Jordan Bardella was in Le Mans, in Sarthe for a press conference called “Where does our money go?”, to talk about inflation and purchasing power. A denunciation of the deemed inefficient use of public money. This press conference did not make much noise in the national media. No matter: it was not the desired goal.

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We are right in the strategy of the National Rally Bardella version: sometimes being under the radar of the national press, but having good coverage in what is called the “PQR”, the regional daily press. Take that famous press conference, not much in the mainstream national media. On the other hand, Ouest France, France Bleu as well as other local titles have spoken about it. Satisfaction displayed at the RN. Privately, Jordan Bardella praises this regional daily press: “They are not interested in small sentences. They work on concrete subjects. We’re doing politics again“, thus enthuses the boss of the RN…

“We must occupy the territory of territories and ideas”

What impact in terms of distribution? In 2022, just West France distributes more newspapers than Le Figaro And Le Parisien-Today in France accumulated. Let’s say things very clearly: this does not mean that the treatment there would be less critical or that the result would be complacent. That same February 25, West France published a survey on how the National Rally wants to make Sarthe a gateway to the West. A department where the former FN is progressing, but fails to establish itself.

Good or bad press, the bet is successful. “We must occupy the territory of territories and ideas”, assumes Jordan Bardella. And this instruction is applied at the party level. RN deputy for Loiret Thomas Ménagé explains that he never refuses an invitation from France 3 Center Val de Loire. His goal is to be at least once a month in The Republic of the Center: “These are in particular my voters”, explains the young RN deputy.

This strategy, the far-right party intends to extend it for the next elections. With public meetings in small rooms in medium-sized towns rather than large meetings in metropolises. The party claims that this method gave it very good coverage in the regional press at the last European elections and that it is partly thanks to this that it scored well. In 2019, the RN then finished in first position with more than 23% of the vote.