Is this a second French revolution? A young far-right politician is the frontrunner to become France’s prime minister. His victory could change his country — and Europe — forever.
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The 28-year-old who could be French PM
Is this a second French revolution? A young far-right politician is the frontrunner to become France's prime minister. His victory could change his country - and Europe - forever.
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It was very possibly the worst Sunday evening of Emmanuel Macron's life.
Last night the polls closed on the first round of France's parliamentary electionAn election in which voters choose, by voting for, the members of a parliament..1 Following the highest turnout in 40 years, the far-right party National Rally (RN) soared into first place with an estimated 34% of votes, while President Macron's centristOccupying a position on the political spectrum between left and right. Renaissance party secured only around 20%, putting them in third place, behind the left-wing alliance the New Popular Front.
When the dust settles after a second round of voting on Sunday 7 July, France will probably have a new prime minister.
That prime minister is likely to be Jordan Bardella, the RN's young president. Bardella has shot from being relatively unknown to one of the most powerful men in Europe. The French government will be run by a far-right party. It could amount to a new French RevolutionThe overthrow (and subsequent execution) of France's king and aristocratic government in 1789. The revolution became infamous and influential worldwide..
France has a president and a prime minister. The president is the head of state and controls foreign policy.2 The prime minister is appointed from France's Parliament. They run the day-to-day business of the government.
Bardella does not fit the typical political profile. He comes from a working class background in Paris's multicultural suburbs.3 He is just 28.4 He dropped out of university. He joined the RN aged 16 and has worked there since he was 19.
The RN was founded by Jean-Marie Le Pen, an anti-semiteSomeone who is hostile to or prejudiced against Jewish people. who has been convicted of hate speechThe expression of hate towards someone because of race, religion, sex, or sexual orientation. 15 times.5 The party has managed to detoxify its image under his daughter Marine. Bardella is her prize weapon.6
Bardella depicts himself as calm and unthreatening. He calls himself a "candidate of reason in the face of extremes'. He is selling himself as the man to bring down the cost of living.
He has charmed some groups who have previously rejected the RN, including graduates, pensioners and the young. He has become a TikTok sensation with his sharp suits and trained smile.7
Some think this is all spinIn a political sense, spin is a form of propaganda achieved through knowingly providing a biased interpretation of an event, or campaigning to influence public opinion about some organisation or public figure.. Bardella has many extreme positions. He claims France is "submerged by migrants" and has vowed to fight a "cultural battle" against Islam.8
He also wants to cut France's contributions to the EU budget by €2bn.9 Commentator Jean-Yves Camus says the RN "want to unravel the EU from the inside."
Macron is an EU cheerleader. If the two are forced to govern together, sparks will fly. France may never be the same again.
Is this a second French revolution?
Yes: A victory for the far-right in France would have world-shaking consequences. Europe's big cheerleader would turn against the EU. Macron has even claimed it would cause "civil war".
No: It is all part of Macron's masterplan. Prime Minister Bardella will have to make tough decisions. His popularity will plunge. And Macron's centrist wing can swoop in to clear up their mess.
Or... A Macron-Bardella France would be a strange hybrid, with both sides checking the other. But if Marine Le Pen becomes president in 2027 with Bardella as PM, a new, nationalist France may follow.
Parliamentary election - An election in which voters choose, by voting for, the members of a parliament.
Centrist - Occupying a position on the political spectrum between left and right.
French Revolution - The overthrow (and subsequent execution) of France's king and aristocratic government in 1789. The revolution became infamous and influential worldwide.
Anti-semite - Someone who is hostile to or prejudiced against Jewish people.
Hate speech - The expression of hate towards someone because of race, religion, sex, or sexual orientation.
Spin - In a political sense, spin is a form of propaganda achieved through knowingly providing a biased interpretation of an event, or campaigning to influence public opinion about some organisation or public figure.
The 28-year-old who could be French PM
“Le story-telling”: Bardella talks of growing up in deprived estates ravaged by uncontrolled immigration. Glossary
Parliamentary election - An election in which voters choose, by voting for, the members of a parliament.
Centrist - Occupying a position on the political spectrum between left and right.
French Revolution - The overthrow (and subsequent execution) of France’s king and aristocratic government in 1789. The revolution became infamous and influential worldwide.
Anti-semite - Someone who is hostile to or prejudiced against Jewish people.
Hate speech - The expression of hate towards someone because of race, religion, sex, or sexual orientation.
Spin - In a political sense, spin is a form of propaganda achieved through knowingly providing a biased interpretation of an event, or campaigning to influence public opinion about some organisation or public figure.