French far-right leader: July election was ‘personal defeat but collective victory’

The Rassemblement National should have mixed feelings over this summer’s legislative elections, said its leader in a recent interview with Valeurs Actuelles. 

Jordan Bardella, president of the far-right party, said both good and bad points can be taken away from the group’s performance in the elections. 

“It is a personal defeat when you are aiming for Matignon [the residence of the French prime minister] with an absolute majority,” he said. 

If the party won an absolute majority, he would have been appointed prime minister (in theory), and been the youngest ever at the age of 28 (he turned 29 this month).

However, he called it a “collective victory” for the 11 million voters who backed the party during the campaign.

Bardella takes ‘responsibility’ for loss

“I take responsibility for everything, both the signs of progress and the dysfunctions,” he said.

The party was widely tipped to come in first place during the legislative campaign, after a resounding victory in the European Elections in June.

Read more: Far-right win French EU elections: how did your area of France vote?

However, after winning the most votes in the first round it was blocked by an informal alliance between essentially all other parties in the second.

This is known as the Front Républicain, a political tradition in France to block the far-right by voting for any party running against it in the second round regardless of their policies.

Mr Bardella added that the campaign was dogged by “fears fuelled by [RN’s] opponents and part of the media system,” including the informal Front Républicain alliance.

He said the media is “waging psychological warfare” against the ideas of the Rassemblement National, and that his party members and voters alike suffer from “harassment” for their views.

The far-right wields power in parliament

Despite finishing third in the elections, the party now wields significant influence in the Assemblée nationale, due to the political gridlock within the chamber.

The party and its allies have 142 MPs, far short of the 289 required to form an absolute majority.

Read more: GRAPH: See seats by party in new French parliament

This is the largest number of seats ever won by the party and gives it influence, particularly over the new government set to be announced by prime minister Michel Barnier this weekend. 

Read more: French PM Michel Barnier says deal struck to form new government

In effect, the RN wields a ‘sword of Damocles’ above the head of Mr Barnier’s cabinet before it even takes office. 

The left-wing Nouveau Front Populaire (NFP) has said it would back any motion of no confidence against the government, after they were frozen out of negotiations despite gaining the most seats in July’s elections.

The combined MPs of the NFP (193) and RN would easily win a vote of no confidence against the government.

Read more: Why far right support is key to whether Michel Barnier stays as French PM