Marine Le Pen

A new poll projects France's 2027 presidential election could come down to a run-off between far-right leader Marine Le Pen's camp and hard-left veteran Jean-Luc Melenchon, sidelining President Emmanuel Macron's centrist bloc. Commentators see the projection as a sign of deepening polarisation in French politics, with the mainstream centre at risk of being squeezed out of the second round entirely.

France's far-right National Rally has made significant gains in elections to the French Senate, an institution long dominated by mainstream conservative and centrist forces. The result marks a notable advance for the party of Marine Le Pen in a chamber where it previously held little representation. The surge is being read as another sign of the far right's growing foothold in French institutions following its recent national breakthroughs.

POLITICO has published takeaways from interviews with leading French presidential candidates Marine Le Pen, Jean-Luc Mélenchon and Gabriel Attal. The conversations touched on foreign policy questions including Ukraine, Russia and NATO, offering voters a comparison of where the main contenders stand ahead of the election.

France's far-right National Rally made gains in the country's Senate elections, marking a further advance for the party in national institutions. The result underlines the continued rise of Marine Le Pen's movement, which has already made significant inroads in the National Assembly and European elections, and is being closely watched for what it signals ahead of future national contests.

France's far-right National Rally has secured enough Senate seats to form its own group in the upper house of parliament for the first time. The milestone marks a symbolic breakthrough for the party of Marine Le Pen and Jordan Bardella, which has long struggled to convert its electoral strength into representation in the indirectly elected chamber, where local officials dominate.

Marine Le Pen is polling as the frontrunner for France's 2027 presidential election, according to trending reports. Early surveys suggest the far-right Rassemblement National leader holds a lead over potential rivals, months ahead of the vote. Commentators are debating whether she can convert poll numbers into victory after previous near-misses, and how rivals on the mainstream right and left might unite to block her.

France's Rassemblement National has formed a parliamentary group in the Senate for the first time, marking a historic step for Marine Le Pen's far-right party in the upper house of parliament. Reaching the threshold for an official group gives the party greater speaking time, committee seats and institutional legitimacy, and is being read as further evidence of its growing normalisation in French politics.

Attention in France is turning to the 2027 presidential election, with early polls pointing to a possible face-off between Marine Le Pen and Jean-Luc Mélenchon. Commentary is focusing on the political dynamics behind such a duel, including the strength of each camp's electorate and what it would mean for the country's future direction.

Marie-Caroline Le Pen, the elder sister of Marine Le Pen, suffered a defeat in the Sarthe departmental senate elections. A former multiple-time candidate in legislative elections, she was standing for the senate for the first time and finished only fourth. Commenters are treating her poor result as a satisfaction and a setback for the Le Pen political family in French politics.

Former France footballer and anti-racism advocate Lilian Thuram responded to Marine Le Pen's claim that she is not racist, telling RTL "It makes me laugh." The exchange between the ex-international and the French far-right leader has drawn attention in France, reigniting debate over Le Pen's record and rhetoric on race and immigration.