Disappointment Looms as National Rally Falters
In a dramatic turn of events, the far-right National Rally (RN) party in France found itself grappling with disappointment and disbelief as the nation's election results defied their aspirations. The scene at the Bois de Vincennes forest pavilion in Paris, meticulously prepared for what was hoped to be a triumphant victory rally, stood in stark contrast to the sobering reality that unfolded.
Hundreds of journalists from across the globe had descended upon the venue, with sniffer dogs in place to safeguard a party that many believed was on the precipice of power, a historic first for the far-right since World War II. However, as the clock ticked towards the exit poll at 8 p.m., the mood began to shift palpably.
Party apparatchiks exchanged hushed whispers, hinting at indications that their ambitions had fallen short. Nervous glances were cast, and the once-celebratory glasses seemed half-empty rather than half-full. And then, the screens unveiled the story: the National Rally had been relegated to third place, outpaced by the left and President Macron's centrist forces. A stunned silence enveloped the venue, broken only by a smattering of applause from supporters, desperately trying to buoy spirits.
"We are sad, disappointed, struck down by this result," lamented Rosa Gave, clutching a French flag tightly. "We are victims of a dishonest alliance led by Macron to block us from power."
The "alliance" she referred to was a strategic pact forged by opponents of the National Rally in the final week. In many three-way races where the RN held the lead, the third candidate withdrew, urging voters to rally behind the figure best positioned to halt the far-right's ascent. And it worked, a common electoral tactic in France, but one that has drawn the ire of the RN.
As Jordan Bardella, the party's 28-year-old president, the man who had hoped to become France's prime minister, arrived, cheers erupted from the dwindling crowd inside. "Depriving millions of French people of the possibility of seeing their ideas brought to power will never be a viable destiny for France," he declared defiantly.
Bardella denounced President Emmanuel Macron for, in his words, pushing France towards instability and into the arms of what he called the "extreme left," a reference to France Unbowed, the party leading the victorious left-wing coalition.
Then came Marine Le Pen, the National Rally's leader, whose dream of national power has once again been thwarted at the eleventh hour. Thronged by journalists, her supporters chanted "Marine, Présidente!" as a couple of reporters were pushed over in the melee.
"The tide is rising – our victory has only been delayed," Le Pen proclaimed, asserting that President Macron's position is "untenable."
The president, who came to power promising to revive the center ground and bridge the right and left, has instead pushed the French to the extremes. While many in the National Rally feel bitterly disappointed that their first-round victory did not translate into power after the second, they will undoubtedly cheer a significant increase in the number of their MPs since the last parliamentary election, confident that one day their time will come.
"France has chosen the coalition of the worst," lamented Matteo Giammaresi, a National Rally supporter, holding his champagne glass on a rapidly emptying dancefloor. "What we say now is giving France hope for the future."
The party will now bide its time, waiting out this government and believing that division and disunity will play into Marine Le Pen's hands. And then, at the 2027 presidential election, she would be able to say – this is what happens when we are blocked from power.
The nature of the government that will emerge remains deeply unclear. A hung parliament awaits, with the potential for paralysis. France has been plunged into the political unknown, just not in the way pollsters predicted. As the far-right tide momentarily recedes, the nation holds its breath, bracing for the ebb and flow of an uncertain future.