Origin of France’s far-right Rassemblement National party

In a surprising turn of events, the far-right Rassemblement National party emerged victorious in the European elections in France, securing 31.5% of the votes. This marked a significant contrast to President Emmanuel Macron’s ruling coalition, which only garnered 14.6% of the votes.

The origins of this far-right party, previously known as the Front National and rebranded as Rassemblement National in 2018, can be traced back to its founding members who had ties to the Vichy regime during World War II. Historian Nicolas Lebourg sheds light on the party’s inception in the early 1970s by Ordre Nouveau, a group with fascist aspirations.

Despite controversies and denials of the Holocaust by its then-president Jean-Marie Le Pen in the 1980s, the Front National successfully expanded its support base by capitalizing on immigration issues. This video delves into the party’s evolution over the years.