The far-right party led by Jordan Bardella did not stand out for its strength of proposal. “We see them very little,” criticize his political opponents.
The National Rally returns to the campaign. The far-right party is holding its first major meeting for the European elections, Sunday March 3, in Marseille. His goal ? Do at least as well as in 2019, when the RN list came in first position in the European elections and obtained 23 seats in Parliament. Five years later, the party still occupies first place in voting intention polls for the elections of June 9, 2024.
“The European Union can no longer ignore the inspiration of peoples for protection, freedom and sovereignty. It must now reorient its economic, social and migration policy”, launched the head of the RN list, Jordan Bardella, on the occasion of his victory in 2019. What is the situation five years later? Have the European deputies of the National Rally given themselves the means to achieve their objectives?
A criticized presence
Among their political opponents, the verdict is scathing. “There is in fact absolutely no assessment of the RN: none of their ideas passed, none of their rare texts had a majority. It’s a mandate for nothing”tackles MEP Nathalie Loiseau, former head of the majority list, who debated against Jordan Bardella during the last European elections. “In terms of results, it is the business of those in power. We are in the opposition”defends Jean-Paul Garraud, the president of the RN delegation to the European Parliament.
“The RN deputies do not work, which is embarrassing when you are an MP”, adds Pierre Larrouturou, MEP from the social democratic group. Same observation for Nathalie Loiseau who claims that she “sees very little of the RN deputies where the real work is done”that is to say in the commissions. And for good reason, no RN deputy holds the presidency or vice-president of a working committee within Parliament.
“Jordan Bardella never goes to the Petitions Committee, the only one to which he is registered, and which is nevertheless the least busy in the European Parliament.”
Nathalie Loiseau, MEP from the Renew groupat franceinfo
Frontist elected officials are indeed struggling to be assigned the key positions of law rapporteurs. In Strasbourg, the other parties are practicing what they call the “sanitary cordon” around the far-right party. Of “sectarianism”according to RN MEP Mathilde Androuët. “We were removed from all responsibilities, reports, certain texts, at the last moment, on which we worked. This is a totally undemocratic situation.”assures the president of the RN delegation.
“Those who tell us that we haven’t done anything are the same people who stopped us from working.”
Jean-Paul Garraud, MEP of the National Rallyat franceinfo
The case of Jordan Bardella, MEP and president of the National Rally, is particularly singled out by his opponents. “Jordan Bardella sits on the petitions committee, which is renowned for being the one where we work the least! But it’s legitimate… He is the president of the party, it takes up his time. It’s a very important which requires his presence very often in Paris”defended MEP Gilles Lebreton in December 2023 to franceinfo.
Few parliamentary reports
The president of the RN has also not written any report. He was only “shadow rapporteur” of a report on artificial intelligence in the digital age. A role consisting of following the development of work on behalf of a political group throughout the procedure. In total, six reports were produced by National Rally MEPs. All by Gilles Lebreton. Professor of public law, this is his second term in the European Parliament. “He is recognized by his peers for his technical qualities, beyond all political sides”says Mathilde Androuët.
For comparison, the 12 French deputies from the environmentalist and regionalist opposition group produced 19 reports. For their part, the six French MEPs from the left group report 21 reports even though they are also in opposition.
Despite the accusations of its opponents, the RN prides itself on a good record : “We tabled more than 14,000 amendments, we intervened in the plenary session with more than 700 interventions, we questioned the European Commission with nearly 1,700 questions. We provided more than 1,300 explanations of votes. We have obtained reports, the most interesting being that on artificial intelligence”says Jean-Paul Garraud.
Votes often against
During this last mandate, the far-right party also marked its difference by opposing numerous emblematic texts, such as those on LGBTQI rights, the environment and even immigration. “We opposed 60% of the texts proposed to the European Parliament”confirms Jean-Paul Garraud.
A major axis of the “de-demonization” of the RN, the votes on women’s rights within the hemicycle are however anything but favorable for them. In January 2020, the party thus disapproves a resolution closing the pay gap between women and men. A few months later, RN MEPs rejected a resolution condemning Polish regulations on the right to abortion. In February 2023, during the vote on the ban on sales of new cars equipped with thermal engines in 2035, the RN deputies again all voted against. Two months later, the frontist deputies abstained during the vote on the carbon tax at borders.
On immigration, a paradox remains over Jordan Bardella’s European ambition. While he wishes to establish links with other far-right parties, the president of the RN comes up against deep disagreements with the rest of the Identity and Democracy group. On April 20, 2023, the European Parliament met to vote on four texts concerning the Asylum and Migration Pact. French far-right elected officials all voted against. Conversely, all Italian deputies from Identity and Democracy voted in favor. And for good reason, on the migratory level, the Italian league has long declared itself in favor of a European response to the distribution of asylum seekers. The RN is opposed to it.
Concerning the Russian issue, the votes appear to be even more fluctuating. On December 30, 2023, an investigation of Washington Post revealed the continuing links between the National Rally and Russia. In September 2020, RN MEPs rejected a resolution condemning the attempted assassination of Alexeï Navalny. A year later, they refused to vote a text condemning the violence committed by the Wagner group. And if RN deputies voted for three resolutions of support for Ukraine at the start of the conflict, they then abstained or voted against more than twenty times.
“Among the things that shocked me the most was their support for Russia. There are thousands of deaths in Ukraine. And when Parliament organizes a tribute, the RN is not there or remains seated. They are truly Putin’s allies despite the barbarity.”
Pierre Larrouturou, MEP from the Social Democratic groupat franceinfo
A center-left MEP, speaking on condition of anonymity, also accuses the party of “to look after the interests of friendly countries like Russia”.
A strike force thanks to the EU
Beyond votes and committees, the National Rally was able to count on its large delegation during this last mandate to develop its political firepower. Since the far-right group changed its name to “Identity and Democracy” in 2019, at the initiative of Marine Le Pen, “it has gained momentum, but in a Parliament that is a little more fragmented”estimates sociologist Estelle Delaine, author of the book On the far right of the hemicycle: the National Rally at the heart of European democracy.
The group now has 61 MEPs, from eight countries, including Italy and Germany. A number which has the effect of generating “certain gains since this gives access to resources parliamentarians”specifies the sociologist.
“The National Rally has various resources: financial, coveted positions within political institutions for its members, as well as access to interest groups.”
Estelle Delaine, sociologistat franceinfo
As far-right MPs are now more numerous, their political strategy occasionally consists of “go see potential allies and create an alliance with them.” One of the latest examples dates back to July 12, 2023, when the votes of far-right MPs aligned with those of the European right against the adoption of the law for the restoration of nature, causing a close vote.
Media speaking engagements
But the heart of the RN’s strategy lies above all in an all-out media presence. Frontist deputies thus occupy first place in the list of speaking engagements among French MEPs during plenary sessions. Since 2019, RN MEPs have counted 989 plenary speeches, according to the site Parltrack.org, which lists them since the start of the mandate in July 2019 and until December 2023. They are followed very closely by the French Renew deputies, with 976 speeches in plenary.
These interventions are also massively relayed on YouTube by RN MEPs. Almost all of them have an account on the platform with a playlist listing most of their plenary interventions. Jordan Bardella, president of the party, displays 58 videos there at the end of February, MEP Jean-Lin Lacapelle 64 and Gilles Lebreton 341. A media strategy aimed at France rather than a political one within European institutions.