The leading far-right party in France is called the National Rally (Rassemblement National, RN). Some of its early members were affiliated with the Waffen-SS, a military unit under Nazi command during the second world war. The party is currently led by Jordan Bardella, one of France’s youngest politicians.
With Bardella, the party found a new face that helped its rebranding. His popularity is proof that what was once taboo is now normalized and has become mainstream. Today, voting for the far-right is no longer something to be ashamed of in France. RN’s president has unprecedented popularity due to his carefully curated social media presence. His Tik Tok account makes him look familiar and relatable. He also appeals to the unemployed, the working class and young people in rural areas.
Vincent Lebrou, professor at Université de Franche-Comté told BBC News that the RN is attractive to people who live in rural areas because they are affected by unemployment and deindustrialization. The population is often less educated and experiences professional difficulties. Many Montbéliard citizens feel they have lost their safety and economic security, leading them to believe that the RN is the true solution.
Last year, France held parliamentary elections. In Colombier-Saugnieu, 54% of voters cast their ballot for the far-right party. Citizens of that village explain they support the National Rally because they desire change. They say they want more dialogue, less violence and are heavily influenced by what they see on the news coverage of big cities, which results in blaming immigration. One could argue that people in the countryside are afraid of situations they aren’t directly experiencing and only judge what they see on television. The far-right clearly has an agenda, but people from big cities often highlight diversity and do not share the same fears, unlike what the media is trying to portray.
In reality, the far-right’s rise is not exclusive to rural areas, cities like Nice are also affected. French media was quick to highlight a political divide between urban and rural areas but much of the voting pattern can be attributed to the demographics living in both areas. According to Mathieu Gallard, account director for Ipsos, rural France has more people from the working class, more retired citizens, and more individuals without higher education. This would explain the appeal of the far-right.
Nevertheless, generalizations should be made cautiously, as rural France is not monolithic. Regardless of where people live, voters are united by the cost of living. The far-right has convinced French citizens that economic growth will be achieved by combating immigration. Such a claim is questionable because in 2022, immigrants made up just over 10% of France’s population and a third had already obtained French nationality.
During a rally, Jordan Bardella told his crowd that French civilization would die as it is being submerged by migrants who will change France’s culture, customs, and way of life. While campaigning for the parliamentary elections, he made threats of mass expulsions, claiming the country needed to rid itself of delinquents, criminals, and foreign Islamists. Similarly, Trump has referred to immigrants as “aliens” and “animals”. He uses hateful and dehumanizing language to argue against a group of people. This rhetoric isn’t unique to the U.S. During World War II, fascists leaders in Europe targeted Jews, gay people, and other groups, labeling them as “social pollution”.
It is evident that the far-right is rising all around the world. It looks like society is slowly drifting back towards fascism. What could we do to make a significant change?
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