National Rally

[[File:Logo_Rassemblement_National.svg|thumb|300px|right|The official logo of 
Aquafresh
 
Pepsi
 
Ted Cruz
 
Front National
 the National Rally since 2018.]]
{{hatnote|For the [[British]] political party, see [[National Front]].}}
{{FrenchPolitics}}
The '''National Rally''' (French: '''''Rassemblement national'''''; '''RN'''), previously (before June 2018) known as National Front (French: '''''Front National'''''; '''FN'''),  is a [[French]] [[far-right]] party founded by [[Holocaust denier]] [[Jean-Marie Le Pen]]. It was so extreme that even batshit cons such as [[Nigel Farage]] described it as "a [[Vichy France|Vichyite]] rump and [[Antisemitism|anti-Semitic]]".<ref name=Eye1429>''Private Eye'' No. 1429 (October 2016). [http://www.imgur.com/ipwoLv4 p.1]</ref> In fact, the party's new name and logo bear some resemblance to the {{wpl|National Popular Rally||,}} a Vichy-era party that collaborated with the [[Nazi]]s.

==History==
The party was founded in 1972 by [[Jean-Marie Le Pen]] and some unsavoury persons such as: François Brigneau, who joined the collaborationist ''Milice'' after the Allies invaded [[France]] in 1944; Pierre Bousquet, who was among the last to fight in the [[SS]] for [[Hitler]] in [[Berlin]];<ref>Nicolas Lebourg (May 8, 2014). [https://www.slate.fr/culture/86829/waffen-ss-francais-racines-droites-radicales "Les anciens SS ont reconstruit l'extrême droite française après 1945"]. ''Slate''.</ref> and Roger Holeindre, former member of the ''Organisation armée secrète'' (OAS), a [[terrorist]] group which committed bombings and assassinations in support of the [[French]] settlers in [[Algeria]] even after the Evian accords ended the Algerian war for independence.

After some difficult beginnings (marked by the assassination of François Duprat, an unreconstructed [[fascist]] and one of the main ideologues and founders), the FN gained momentum after the 1973 economic crisis and [[Social Democracy|socialist]] François Mitterand's election victory in 1981, both fueled by some of the [[French]] [[Right-wing|mainstream right]] who thought the FN was a good ally to gain some cities and, allegedly, by Mitterand who wanted to hamstring the [[Right-wing|political right]].

The enacting of proportional representation for the 1986 legislative elections made the FN gain seats in the Assembly; its MP demonstrated their comic incompetence by proposing such legislation as {{wpl|Demeny voting|giving parents votes for their minor children of the same sex (i.e. a mother could vote for her daughters)}} or the reestablishment of the [[Death penalty|death penalty]] for murder and drug trafficking.<ref>More complete list [http://felina.pagesperso-orange.fr/doc/extr_dr/prop_lois.htm here] (in French)</ref> With the previous [[Two-round voting|two-round system]] restored in 1988, the electors had more sense and didn't reelect the clowns.

Nevertheless, and notwithstanding the [[racist]] murders committed by some members (see Brahim Bouarram thrown in the Seine, and Ibrahim Ali, shot), the FN continued its progress and even managed to gain some towns in 1995, such as Toulon and Orange, where, once more, such mayors managed to show their crass incompetence<ref>{{wpa|Front National (France)#1995 municipal elections 1}}</ref> and got booted in 2001 by the electors.

But the heydays had to end: after the surprise access of their chief to the second round in 2002, this party entered its nadir… until [[Marine Le Pen]] came to power in 2011. This change enabled them to gain nearly one fifth of the electorate at the 2012 presidential election and two MPs.

Following the municipal elections of 2014, the Front National won 11 French towns. The 11 mayors quickly took controversial actions. For example, Steeve Briois, as soon as he was elected mayor of Hénin Beaumont, had the local quarters of the French Ligue des Droits de l'Homme (League for Human Rights, LDH) closed, because they had "clearly taken a position against the FN". Cyril Nauth, another FN mayor, cancelled the sale of a new, more salubrious place of worship to the local [[Muslim]] congregation. Frank Briffaud, a third FN mayor, decided NOT to commemorate the abolition of [[slavery]], as is customary among his citizens.

In the 2014 European Parliamentary elections, FN was the largest party. Le Pen called for the dissolution of the parliament.<ref>[http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/france/10855797/Marine-Le-Pen-wins-record-victory-in-French-elections.html The Telegraph: Marine Le Pen wins record victory in French elections]</ref>

After a disastrous defeat for Le Pen in the 2017 Presidential Elections, the party was renamed National Rally, however, no one is fooled by the rebranding effort.

==Ideology==
At the beginning, this party was a hodgepoge of the French far-right ranging from nationalists to full-fledged [[neo-Nazi]]s; the chief was himself a former member of the Poujadists, a French [[populist]] far-right movement which worked to protect "[[tradition]]al" French values against "[[elite]]-driven" modernization. The thrust of their early campaigns claimed that the FN was [[Not as bad as|less corrupt than the establishment]].<ref>See this list of [http://blogs.mediapart.fr/blog/lilith13/050612/les-condamantions-et-mises-en-examen-du-front-national-et-de-ses-membres convicted FN members and bigwigs] for a useful refutation (again, in French)</ref>

In 1978 the FN took a "Reaganite before [[Reagan]]" turn in [[economic]] policy, supporting popular [[capitalism]], and started espousing an extreme [[free-market]] and [[Libertarian|anti-statist]] program, including calling for lower taxes (including the end of the [[income tax]]), reduced state intervention and the dissolution of the bureaucracy, and decrying the "[[welfare queen|welfare queens]]"; in the 1990s they started to take a protectionist and pro-welfare turn and accentuated this change with the ascension of [[Marine Le Pen]] in 2011.{{cn}}

Similarly, their foreign policy underwent important changes, becoming increasingly [[Euroscepticism|opposed]] to the [[European Union]] and to American [[Gulf War|military]] [[Iraq War|intervention]]. The FN also attempted to court [[UKIP]] votes in the EU – prompting [[Nigel Farage]] to come out with the extraordinary outburst that "I think she wants to fuck me".<ref name=Eye1429 /> However, Farage views Le Pen as detrimental to his ideological cause<ref>[https://www.rt.com/uk/340868-le-pen-brexit-visit/ "Farage shoots down Brexit support from French far-right chief Le Pen"]. ''RT International''. Retrieved on 1 November 2016.</ref>&nbsp;– although he has no problems with [[Donald Trump]] on this account.

One of the most famous videos involving Marine's father is him chasing a guy while shouting "I'll make you run, faggot", so yeah, not very reassuring. They oppose [[gay marriage]], obviously. Their current vice-president, and also the mastermind behind Le Pen's campaign, is [[gay]], but he is a very divisive figure among the party.

Of course, the racism still remains, albeit well hidden by the ''dédiabolisation'' strategy.<ref>Ask [http://www.connexionfrance.com/Front-National-Justice-Taubira-Leclere-15140-view-article.html Anne-Sophie Leclere]</ref>

In the 2024 election, many candidates for lower-level offices have made disturbing remarks, including ones that are antisemitic or xenophobic. Some of these candidates tried hide their bigotry by deleting social media posts.<ref>[https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/06/28/france-far-right-antisemitism-racism-le-pen/ In France’s rebranded far right, flashes of antisemitism and racism persist: Ahead of French elections, vitriol and innuendo from National Rally candidates amplify doubts about how much the party of Marine Le Pen has truly evolved.] by  Anthony Faiola & Annabelle Timsit (June 28, 2024 at 6:58 a.m. EDT) ''The Washington Post''.</ref><ref>[https://www.liberation.fr/politique/la-liste-sans-fin-des-candidats-rn-qui-vehiculent-racisme-antisemitisme-et-complotisme-20240626_VUOEORNGJBEFPDKOJICWOTORDY/ La liste sans fin des candidats RN qui véhiculent racisme, antisémitisme et complotisme] by Maxime Macé & Pierre Plottu (26 juin 2024 à 6h33) ''Liberation''.</ref><ref>[https://www.mediapart.fr/journal/france/210624/racisme-plus-de-40-candidats-rn-en-roue-libre-sur-les-reseaux-sociaux#at_medium=custom7&at_campaign=1048 Racisme : plus de 40 candidats RN en roue libre sur les réseaux sociaux: Malgré les précautions prises par le parti de Marine Le Pen et Jordan Bardella, des dizaines de candidats et candidates continuent d’afficher des propos racistes sur leurs réseaux sociaux. Mediapart a recensé 45 profils problématiques à ce jour.] by Justine Brabant & Antton Rouget (21 juin 2024 à 20h01) ''Mediapart''.</ref>

==See also==
*The [[National Front]], a British right-wing nationalist party.
*The [[Party for Freedom]], their [[Netherlands|Dutch]] counterpart

==External links==
*[http://www.english.rfi.fr/economy/20120503-has-marine-le-pen-made-frances-front-national-respectable Has Marine Le Pen made France's Front National respectable?]

==References==
{{reflist|2|90%}}

[[Category:Antisemitism]]
[[Category:European political parties]]
[[Category:Far-right political parties]]
[[Category:Fascism]]
[[Category:French politics]]
[[Category:Holocaust denial]]
[[Category:Islamophobia]]
[[Category:Racism]]
[[Category:Xenophobia]]

Categories: Antisemitism, European political parties, Far-right political parties, Fascism, French politics, Holocaust denial, Islamophobia, Racism, Xenophobia