You don't have permission to access the page you requested What is this page?The website you are visiting is protected.For security reasons this page cannot be displayed This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page A couple watch bikers riding near Henin-Beaumont Several waves of industrial shutdowns have left unemployment levels above the national average and 60% of the population earns so little it does not need to pay tax according to data from France’s national statistics agency.(AP Photo/Thibault Camus) People stroll by the Saint Henriette slag heap in Henin-Beaumont according to data from France’s national statistics agency An abandoned pithead building is pictured in Henin-Beaumont A depressed former mining town is at the heart of French far-right leader Marine Le Pen’s long-term political strategy Her party’s electoral success Sunday came as no surprise to the hundreds of fierce supporters who had gathered in the town of Henin-Beaumont to see her victory speech People speak and smoke with the Saint Henriette slag heap FILE - French far right leader Marine Le Pen arrives to vote Le Pen easily won her own race for a parliamentary seat in the first-round voting last Sunday — she garnered more than 64% of the votes in Henin-Beaumont A closed shop is pictured near the railway station of Henin-Beaumont In the former mining town at the heart of French far-right leader Marine Le Pen’s long-term political strategy her party’s electoral success Sunday came as no surprise to hundreds of supporters who gathered to see her victory speech A French flag is attached to a car’s antenna in Henin-Beaumont Far-right leader Marien Le Pen implanted herself in the northern department of Pas-de-Calais in the early 2000s hoping to win over disenchanted voters growing tired of decades of Socialist local governance was sentenced to four years in prison and a 50,000 euro fine for embezzlement of public funds.(AP Photo/Thibault Camus) The construction of a mammoth shopping center on Henin-Beaumont’s outskirts emptied out the town and dozens of shops was sentenced to four years in prison and a 50,000-euro ($53,000) fine for embezzlement of public funds “There was a winning cocktail,” including the mayor’s corruption and the closure of industrial plants a filmmaker who has done two documentaries on Henin-Beaumont and the rise of its far-right mayor a majority in Parliament for a party like Le Pen’s is within reach Although France has some of the highest standards of living in the world lower unemployment than it’s had in decades and a relatively low crime rate compared to its peers discontent has simmered in some parts in the post-industrial era Sunday’s victory is a long-coming revenge on a political class that they see as out of touch with everyday people and their concerns “The French have almost wiped out the ‘Macronist’ bloc,” a victorious Le Pen told supporters in Henin-Beaumont showed voters’ “willingness to turn the page after seven years of contemptuous and corrosive power.” Henin-Beaumont is where Le Pen began her efforts to turn her father’s party from political pariah to a voter-friendly alternative -- a strategy she then sought to replicate on the national level when she took the reins of the party in 2012 which too often relied on antisemitism and racism to provoke and draw attention according to Stanford University professor Cecile Alduy “Since (Marine) has been at the helm of the party embrace a kind of democratic rhetoric,” said Alduy was “a little too extreme” for Magali Quere “But the National Rally does not scare me,” said Quere “Other parties on the right have started to copy her vocabulary or arguments or themes mainly around immigration and insecurity,” she explained including Macron and former French President Nicolas Sarkozy “It normalizes even more what they (the National Rally) have to offer,” she said was elected in 2014 and reelected for a second term in 2020 with 74% of the votes He remains a close ally of Marine Le Pen and has been heralded as a model for other National Rally candidates his style was a contrast with his predecessors’ “He associated marketing and advertising techniques with the oldest practices of political action the filmmaker who followed him for months on the campaign trail Briois encouraged dutiful local residents to inform him of any acts of misconduct or vandalism Many residents in Henin-Beaumont say it’s looking better now than it had in a long time Briois seems to have set aside some of his most extreme projects such as building a coalition of mayors who are against migrants or a decree he passed to ban begging in the town center that critics said unfairly targeted the Roma population the town renovated the church and the city hall and sent police to regularly patrol the streets who described herself as anti-National Rally but I cannot deny everything he has done for the city and that he is very accessible,” Busine said “People often say it’s the old people who vote National Rally Bardella brings the youthful momentum that was missing,” said 22 year-old student Ewan Vandevraye who attended the event in Henin-Beaumont from Lille women and youth alike also chanted Bardella’s name If the National Rally wins an absolute majority on July 7 Bardella will become France’s youngest-ever prime minister Le Pen has her eyes on a bigger prize: the presidency in 2027 Associated Press journalist Oleg Cetinic in Paris contributed PARIS — The far-right National Rally leaped into a strong lead Sunday in France's first round of legislative elections bringing the party closer to being able to form a government in round two and dealing a major slap to centrist President Emmanuel Macron and his risky decision to call the surprise ballot When he dissolved the National Assembly on June 9, after a stinging defeat at the hands of the National Rally in French voting for the European Parliament Macron gambled that the anti-immigration party with historical links to antisemitism wouldn't repeat that success when France's own fate was in the balance With French polling agencies projecting that the National Rally and its allies got about one-third of the national vote on Sunday Macron's prime minister warned that France could end up with its first far-right government since World War II if voters don't come together to thwart that scenario in round two next Sunday “The extreme right is at the doors of power,” Prime Minister Gabriel Attal said He twice described National Rally policy pledges as “disastrous” and said that in the second-round ballot “not one vote should go to the National Rally French polling agencies' projections put Macron’s grouping of centrist parties a distant third in the first-round ballot, behind both the National Rally and a new left-wing coalition of parties that joined forces to keep it from winning power Securing a parliamentary majority would enable National Rally leader Marine Le Pen to install her 28-year-old protege as prime minister and would crown her yearslong rebranding effort to make her party less repellent to mainstream voters who has multiple convictions for racist and antisemitic hate speech With another torrid week of campaigning to come before the decisive final voting next Sunday the election’s ultimate outcome remains uncertain Addressing a jubilant crowd waving French tricolor flags of blue Le Pen called on her supporters and voters who didn't back her party in the first round to push it over the line and give it a commanding legislative majority That scenario would force Bardella and Macron into an awkward power-sharing arrangement has said he will not step down before his second term expires in 2027 “The French have almost wiped out the ‘Macronist’ bloc,” Le Pen said showed voters’ “willingness to turn the page after 7 years of contemptuous and corrosive power.” Early official results showed some remarkable far-right successes Le Pen herself was one of six National Rally candidates that won their races outright in the Pas-de-Calais a once heavily industrialized region of northern France securing more than 50% of the vote in their districts on Sunday meaning they won't face a second-round ballot National Rally candidates were also ahead in all of the region's six other districts heading into round two 54-year-old voter Magali Quere said she used to find the far right scary "but not anymore.” Only the second round will make clear whether Le Pen’s party and its allies get the absolute majority they would need to comfortably form a government and then start to implement their promises to dismantle many of Macron's key policies and foreign policy platforms That would include stopping French deliveries of long-range missiles to Ukraine in the war against Russia’s full-scale invasion The National Rally has historical ties to Russia The far right's more confrontational approach to the European Union its plans to roll back Macron's pension reforms and National Rally promises to boost voters' spending power without clearly detailing how it would pay for the pledge could also spook European financial markets National Rally opponents fear for civil liberties if it takes power Macron himself warned that the far right could set France on a path to civil war Its plans to boost police powers and curb immigration also alarm many The National Rally has long been hostile toward France’s Muslim community "People don’t understand that this will impact us for years and years not a France of solidarity and union,” said Cynthia Fefoheio a 19-year-old political science student who was among thousands of people who gathered Sunday night at Paris’ République plaza to protest the National Rally Some polling agency projections indicated that in a best-case scenario for the far right the National Rally and its allies could collectively clear the bar of 289 seats needed for a secure majority in the 577-seat National Assembly But it might also fall short and no single bloc may end up with a clear majority Predictions are difficult because of the two-round voting system the far-right's opponents were strategizing how to concentrate votes against the National Rally in round two planning in some districts to pull their candidates out to increase the chances of another candidate beating a far-right rival according to polling estimates — reversed nearly three decades of tumbling voter interest for the first round of legislative elections in France especially as many are preparing to start or have already started traditional summer vacations showed how the quick campaign and its high stakes galvanized the electorate Many voters saw an opportunity to impose a government on Macron to reprimand his presidency and force a change in course Many voters are frustrated with inflation and other economic concerns notably via online platforms such as TikTok It campaigned heavily on the rising cost of living and immigration The campaign was marred by rising hate speech “People don't like what has been happening,” said Cynthia Justine “People feel they've lost a lot in recent years The National Rally has questioned the right to citizenship for people born in France and it wants to curtail the rights of French citizens with dual nationality Critics say that undermines human rights and is a threat to France’s democratic ideals At the election celebration in Le Pen's stronghold of Henin-Beaumont 41-year-old Edouard Guillebot said the far right's success had been a long time coming “This is a revenge of the people against the elites “I am of those who have voted for everyone They lied to us by telling us immigration was a chance for the country.” Become an NPR sponsor Connecting decision makers to a dynamic network of information, people and ideas, Bloomberg quickly and accurately delivers business and financial information, news and insight around the world The TimesStrolling through a market in her constituency in northern France surrounded by a battery of television cameras Marine Le Pen behaved like a woman who thinks everything is going her way “We have to get France out of the trap in which it has been caught and back on track,” the dominant force in the right-wing National Rally declared after posing for selfies with locals and shaking hands with stall-holders in Hénin-Beaumont “We have to make the French people understand that the situation we are experiencing is not inevitable that it is the consequence of political choices made over the last 30 years and worsened under Emmanuel Macron’s one-and-a-half terms in office.” 61.4 cent of voters in the town backed the National Rally almost ten times the score of Macron’s listSARAH MEYSSONNIER/REUTERSIt was just five days since the president had stunned France by dissolving Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker the leaf blower war or the anti-'woke' backlash World Subscribers only Germany's Friedrich Merz is embracing pragmatism World Subscribers only Trump-Carney meeting: Canada seeks reconciliation World Subscribers only Friedrich Merz bets on two private sector converts to revive the German economy and reform the state World Subscribers only Founder of Sant'Egidio community fears next pope could undo Francis's legacy Opinion Subscribers only 'Russian gas and Europe is an old story that ended badly Economy Subscribers only Europe's steel industry flattened by crisis World Subscribers only How European countries plan to fund defense efforts France Subscribers only Macron announces citizens' convention on school schedules France Subscribers only 21 charged over French prison attacks as investigation narrows in on drug traffickers France Subscribers only French mosque stabber was driven by 'morbid fascination,' prosecutor says France Subscribers only At the trial of Kim Kardashian's robbers Videos World expos: From Paris 1855 to Osaka 2025 Videos How the Trump administration is attacking scientific research in the US Videos Tesla cars set on fire in Las Vegas as calls to boycott Musk's company grow worldwide Videos Can France's nuclear deterrent protect Europe Opinion Subscribers only 'The American dream is dying' Opinion Subscribers only John Bolton: 'The term chaos is commonly used to describe the top of the Defense Department' Opinion Subscribers only 'It is pointless to imagine a significant wave of American academics leaving' Magazine Subscribers only Tracking down the pianos taken from French Jews during the Nazi Occupation Magazine Subscribers only Eve Rodsky the American helping couples balance the mental load Magazine Subscribers only Desecration or more glory Joan Didion's private diaries are revealed Magazine Subscribers only For Jewish cartoonist Joann Sfar 2025."> Pixels Subscribers only Golden Owl solution is revealed but leaves players of 31-year hunt disappointed Pixels Subscribers only Secrets of decades-long Golden Owl treasure hunt to be revealed Lifestyle Inside Chanel's French leather workshops Culture Subscribers only The marvelous bronzes of Angkor on display at the Musée Guimet in Paris FeatureIn this mining town in northern France which used to be a socialist election ground supporters of the far-right candidate came out in force Here is Le Monde's report from the day of the second-round vote in the French presidential elections Hénin-Beaumont, 9:30 a.m., Sunday, April 24. In the northern French region of Pas-de-Calais, the electoral stronghold of far-right French presidential candidate Marine Le Pen was getting ready The Café de la Paix opened an hour before the polling stations did The first coffees of the morning shared the counter with the day's first pints as voters and journalists recognized one another "We've aged five years these last five years He had sold the place since the last presidential election but continued working there to pass the time "Like every Sunday," he insisted – nothing to do with the day's events in the former mining town where the Rassemblement National (RN) is massively popular Le Pen would come to vote in the town later in the morning Behind a "tchiot" rosé (a small glass of rosé the former florist for the cemetery was reading the newspaper and grumbling "We just end up with the same thing and we start all over again," he muttered his glasses balancing on the end of his nose more than one in two ballots was in favor of Ms banging his fist on the table: "In any case so I don't see the point of making the trip." Even though his polling station is barely 200 meters from the café the 60 year old bets that Hénin-Beaumont's RN mayor before looking after the country." He refused to give so much as his first name after daring to say that she's coming." Microphones and cameras were set up 200 meters away in front of the Jean-Jacques-Rousseau school which had been turned into polling station number 12 You have 79.28% of this article left to read Lecture du Monde en cours sur un autre appareil Vous pouvez lire Le Monde sur un seul appareil à la fois Ce message s’affichera sur l’autre appareil Parce qu’une autre personne (ou vous) est en train de lire Le Monde avec ce compte sur un autre appareil Vous ne pouvez lire Le Monde que sur un seul appareil à la fois (ordinateur En cliquant sur « Continuer à lire ici » et en vous assurant que vous êtes la seule personne à consulter Le Monde avec ce compte Que se passera-t-il si vous continuez à lire ici Ce dernier restera connecté avec ce compte Vous pouvez vous connecter avec votre compte sur autant d’appareils que vous le souhaitez mais en les utilisant à des moments différents Nous vous conseillons de modifier votre mot de passe Votre abonnement n’autorise pas la lecture de cet article merci de contacter notre service commercial The Sunday TimesA pupil in his final year of school Jean Benoit will be voting for the first time in next Sunday’s European parliament elections and he has no doubt about which party to back: the National Rally “He’s going to stop immigration and make France French,” said Benoit a former mining town in the north of the country Instagram and the other social networks because he is young “It’s the first time I’ve been to one of his meetings and I wasn’t disappointed,” she said Your support helps make our show possible and unlocks access to our sponsor-free feed President of the 'Rassemblement National' (RN) group Marine Le Pen (L) casts her ballot for the European Parliament election at a polling station in Henin-Beaumont BERLIN — It’s one of the most high-stakes two-round votes in the history of postwar France At stake is whether Marine Le Pen's National Rally party will gain an absolute majority in the National Assembly — potentially putting the far right in French government for the first time since the Vichy regime collaborated with the Nazis in World War II The results from the first round on Sunday were as follows: pollsters project that the National Rally could be within striking distance of obtaining a majority in France's 577-seat National Assembly Le Pen wants the party's 28-year-old president Speaking to cameras after first-round results came in Sunday evening, Bardella pledged to be "the prime minister for all the people of France .. open to dialogue and concerned at all times with the unity of the people.” The party knows it needs to persuade voters to come to its side for the runoff Yet there is still a chance that no party wins a majority in the National Assembly — known as a hung parliament And Macron could then call for another election next year President Macron shocked much of France and the world by dissolving parliament and calling what's known as a snap election after the National Rally came first in June 9 elections for France's seats in European Parliament He said he wanted to give the French a chance "to say no to extremes." In the frantic round one of the legislative election The complicated nature of this particular two-round election comes from the high turnout Because of the rules deciding how candidates qualify for the second round there is a significant number of races this election involving three That makes it possible for parties that placed second and third in round one — like that left-wing coalition and Macron’s own Ensemble alliance — to strike deals with each other have one candidate step aside and call on their voters to cast a ballot for the other allied party So the coming days will see many local duels as opponents of the National Rally try to strike deals and keep Le Pen’s party out of power "Our objective is clear: stopping the National Rally from having an absolute majority in the second round, from dominating the National Assembly and from governing the country with its disastrous project," French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal said on social media other countries are watching events in France — many with alarm though some who support nationalist populists are encouraged by the result In Ukraine, the most-read article in Ukrainskaya Pravda newspaper was a news item on the election, which ends on a note of concern: “The National Rally’s position on the Russian-Ukrainian war remains unknown While the party currently claims it will assist Ukraine in defending itself against Russian forces such as not giving Ukraine long-range weaponry.” polls were suggesting the governing Socialists had gained just 43% of the vote nationwide compared with 48% for the centre-right opposition The FN was believed to have polled around 7% support a considerable gain given that the party was represented in less than 600 of the 36,000 French municipalities where votes took place the FN candidate was reported to have won a rare outright victory in the first of the two-round elections The party was also reportedly ahead in a handful of other areas The FN's president Marine Le Pen said her party's victory meant the end of two-party politics in France. "The Front National has arrived as a major independent force – a political force both at national and local level," Le Pen told French television. Pollsters say the FN will be in a position to take control of half a dozen towns after next Sunday's run-off vote. After the first results came in showing a surge in support for the FN, the Socialist prime minister Jean-Marc Ayrault called on "all democratic forces" to close ranks to keep the FN out. "Wherever the FN is in a position to win the second round, all who support democracy and the republic have a duty to prevent them," Ayrault said in a television address. The first exit polls suggested a historical level of abstention among voters hovering around 34%. The agriculture minister, Stephane Le Foll said: "We are in the middle of trying to get the country back on its feet. Things are not easy." In other areas, the strength of the FN vote has put the party in the position of power-broker for the second round vote next Sunday, 30 March.. In Paris, the centre-right UMP list of candidates headed by Nathalie Kosciusko-Morizet, was reported to have taken a very slight lead over the Socialist candidate and favourite Anne Hidalgo, based on results from all the French capital's 20 districts. At Tulle, Hollande's former country constituency, the Socialist mayor Bernard Combes, a friend and adviser to the president, was re-elected with, reportedly, just over 65% of the vote. On Sunday evening, estimates showed that as many as 38.5% of the electorate had stayed away from polling stations, an historically high level of abstentions. Confirmed results from all of France's polling stations are not expected until Monday morning. The party was projected to get as much as 34% of the vote, according to analysis from five polling companies late Sunday. The left-wing New Popular Front coalition was set to get about 29% and Macron’s centrist alliance between 21% and 22%. plus any candidate with more than 12.5% of registered voters in that constituency have until Tuesday evening to confirm whether they will go into the second.In the manoeuvring after the vote Prime Minister Gabriel Attal suspended unemployment reform plans which would have reduced jobseekers' benefits - a move that may make it easier for left-wing voters to back Macron allies.RN lawmakers meanwhile urged centre-right politicians in the Republicans (LR) party which received less than 7% of the first-round vote to withdraw from districts where such a move would work in RN's favour.The LR which split ahead of the vote with a small number of its lawmakers joining the RN has yet to clarify its stance.Jordan Bardella the RN's choice of prime minister if it wins a majority describing the far-left as "an existential threat" to France.Writing by Mark John; Editing by Sudip Kar-Gupta Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tab , opens new tab Browse an unrivalled portfolio of real-time and historical market data and insights from worldwide sources and experts. , opens new tabScreen for heightened risk individual and entities globally to help uncover hidden risks in business relationships and human networks. © 2025 Reuters. All rights reserved your new go-to podcast to spice up your weekday mornings with relevant news and behind-the-scenes from Brussels and beyond From the economy to the climate and the EU's role in world affairs this talk show sheds light on European affairs and the issues that impact on our daily lives as Europeans Tune in to understand the ins and outs of European politics Dare to imagine the future with business and tech visionaries Deep dive conversations with business leaders Euronews Tech Talks goes beyond discussions to explore the impact of new technologies on our lives the podcast provides valuable insights into the intersection of technology and society Europe's water is under increasing pressure floods are taking their toll on our drinking water Join us on a journey around Europe to see why protecting ecosystems matters and to discover some of the best water solutions an animated explainer series and live debate - find out why Water Matters We give you the latest climate facts from the world’s leading source analyse the trends and explain how our planet is changing We meet the experts on the front line of climate change who explore new strategies to mitigate and adapt Hundreds of people sing the national anthem in the northern French city of Hénin-Beaumont. On stage is Steeve Briois and the vice-president of the National Rally and this close ally of Marine Le Pen is running for re-election half of the voters in this city of 26,000 people voted for Steeve Briois in the first round of the local elections Unreported Europe went to Hénin-Beaumont to find out why the city illustrates the party’s vision for France and why the people in this part of the country embrace the National Rally "He (Steeve Briois) does lots of good things," one voter said If we call him about problems in the neighborhood or whatever else It’s not just National Rally supporters who are happy with their mayor who dislikes the party’s nationalism even though it is not a party I agree with at all," said Arnaud Despite the coronavirus lockdown the government decided to maintain the municipal elections who leads a broad-based coalition to topple the National Rally "It’s hard to predict what is going to happen," explained Marine "especially with the coronavirus and all that he has already accumulated more than 30 years of grass-roots activism in Hénin-Beaumont We don't just listen to voters two months before the election That kind of work pays off one day or another." Another factor explains the National Rally’s appeal Hénin-Beaumont lies at the heart of the French coal region providing jobs but also a sense of community also came crashing down a couple of decades later a communist councilman and history teacher witnessed the transformation of Hénin-Beaumont "First of all there was the closure of lots of big factories in 2008-2009 so lots of workers found themselves unemployed and they found refuge in abstention and a protest vote The anger in this town is still fueled by a 20% unemployment rate and one resident out of four living below the poverty line Adding to this is a massive political scandal in 2009 involving the former socialist mayor who was arrested for corruption and embezzlement voters eventually turned towards what seemed like the best alternative a retired factory worker and National Rally militant is an embodiment of this radical transition His grandfather fought in the Resistance and his father was a miner "I signed up for the National Front because I was repeatedly betrayed by people on the left supposedly pro-worker." explained Jean-Robert And then you see them on TV being put on trial for money here You quickly get the idea that they are not in it for the workers Not everybody is pleased with the National Rally Some condemn the policies that were enacted against migrants Roma communities and human rights organizations But the most frequent criticism relates to the climate of fear intimidation and bullying that looms over anyone who doesn’t fall in line with the far-right party on the condition that we ketp his identity secret "The National Rally set up a management of fear "It’s really a management-style based on fear From the moment they decide that you are not with them Several media reports seem to confirm these allegations and indicate high levels of sick-leave among the city’s staff It doesn’t work like that in Hénin-Beaumont," countered Mr Briois version from the Libération newsroom But the reality is that 90% of the staff at the municipality are happy with us going door to door and hanging the last posters the objective is not just to win the election: it’s to counter the narrative of the National Rally They want to show that this is the un-demonized National Front The reality is that their natural tendencies come back quickly then they think you are against them and you pay a heavy price A mayor has to work for all the population." the coronavirus triggered even more abstention than usual The National Rally’s success in Hénin-Beaumont is a subject of intense scrutiny in France As the country grapples with economic inequalities and anger against mainstream politicians the party of Marine Le Pen continues to portray this town as a model of governance that must be extended nationwide the challenge remains how to expose the far-right’s weaknesses while offering a credible alternative likely to strike a chord with disenfranchised voters Forty kilometers south of the cosmopolitan metropolis of Lille lies the French city of Hénin-Beaumont Surrounded by waste heaps from old mines it is home to more than 26,000 people Hénin-Beaumont forms part of a wider region where the closure of mines and steel plants has transformed life and drawn comparisons with America's Rust Belt Once a prosperous region in the northeast of France it has been hit by deindustrialization and unemployment – the jobless rate has reached about 17 percent when the national average is closer to 10 percent steelworkers and miners have tended to vote left the far-right Front National (FN) has managed to establish itself locally Hénin-Beaumont and another city called Hayange Hénin-Beaumont itself is taken as an example of the Front National's management skills is widely praised by inhabitants and it didn't take long walking around the town for CNBC to find his supporters and Hénin-Beaumont had a lot of difficulties Briois put things right … I say that the Front National is today able to do the same thing on a national level" who moved to Hénin-Beaumont a few months ago but started leaning to the far right in 2005 when he realized the left and right were making what he perceived as the same mistakes over and over again Vaissier is indicative of the unanimous support for the mayor but some inhabitants have however underlined that Briois's popularity was mainly due to his personality rather than his label and some are still reluctant to vote Front National at a national election This view is supported by Valérie Igounet, an historian who specializes in the far right. "Today in France, there is one out of two voters that are not ready to vote for her (FN leader Marine Le Pen) to be president of the Republic … It is still a party that scares people" she spent two years in different Front National cities torn between disappointment and hopelessness This heartland of steel mining is regularly in the limelight due to its controversial Front National mayor he was elected in a quadrangular election with 2,000 votes out of 12,000 voters reinforcing the local police and forbidding ball games a former deputy sport councilor working at the town hall who joined the Front National ahead of the 2014 elections but quickly realized that Marine Le Pen's party was strictly controlling its members.‎ that our opinion matters but once they have the power we have to follow … We have to follow and obey It is even worse than the right or left," he told CNBC Hainy was leaning to the left for years until he got tired of the politicians not listening to the people "Some are traditional (and vote along family lines) but others voting for the first or second time feel betrayed by politicians that didn't keep their promise and are disappointed by the left and the right," Igounet said in a telephone interview a local Front National politician based near Hayange who stated that the closure of plants in the region didn't make people vote for the Front National but rather the tiredness of the left-right scenario "It is this disappointment that triggers the vote for the FN It is a deep vote that dates back several years it is not recent" he said in an interview with CNBC the Front National vote seems to be more and more important in small towns 20 percent of the voters who gave their ballot to Marine Le Pen in the first round came from rural areas according to an Ipsos-Logica Business Consulting survey some people like Hoff think she could even win in the first round A very unlikely scenario given the 11 candidates for the presidential election centrist candidate Emmanuel Macron is leading narrowly ahead of far-right leader Marine Le Pen with 26 percent against 25.5 percent the French election is shaping up to be an unpredictable race and the final weeks might bring some surprises The first round of the 2017 French presidential election is set to be held on April 23 with the run-off election between the top two candidates due to be held on May 7 Follow CNBC International on Twitter and Facebook Sign up for free newsletters and get more CNBC delivered to your inbox and more info about our products and services © 2025 CNBC LLC. All Rights Reserved. A Division of NBCUniversal Data also provided by A citizen casts his vote at a polling station in Clichy near Paris The first round of the 2022 French presidential elections was held on Sunday April 10 (Xinhua) -- Voting for the 2022 French presidential election began at 8:00 a.m local time (0600 GMT) on Sunday in Metropolitan France Some 48.8 million eligible voters will choose their new president for the next five years among 12 candidates including current French President Emmanuel Macron Most polling stations in Metropolitan France close at 7 p.m local time (1700 GMT) or one hour later in larger cities such as Paris voters have already cast their ballots on Saturday the French Interior Ministry has announced a health protocol for polling stations A vaccine pass or a negative COVID-19 test result will not be required for those entering the stations Masks and social distancing rules will not be mandatory but mask-wearing is recommended for the elderly the vulnerable and coronavirus positive individuals According to a survey on voting intentions published on Wednesday by market research firm Ipsos followed by Marine Le Pen of the far-right National Rally party and Jean-Luc Melenchon who leads the left-wing La France Insoumise (Unsubmissive France) party Purchasing power is a top concern given the increase in the Consumer Price Index by 4.5 percent in March 2022 after a 3.6 percent hike in the previous month immigration and social inequalities are also among the topics that most interest French voters and works as a technical officer for city hall and at a local school canteen it is crucial the president has importance on an international scale." it is not allowed to publish exit polls before voting ends Official preliminary results will be announced on Sunday night or Monday morning after verification by the interior ministry If no candidate gains an absolute majority of votes in the first round a run-off will take place on April 24 between the top two candidates No candidate has won the French presidency in the first round of voting since the Fifth French Republic switched to universal suffrage for presidential elections the left-wing La France Insoumise (Unsubmissive France) party candidate arrives to vote at a polling station in Marseille Voting for the 2022 French presidential election began at 8:00 a.m French Socialist Party (PS) presidential candidate Anne Hidalgo casts her vote at a polling station in Paris casts her ballot at a polling station in Versailles France's far-right party 'Reconquete' candidate to the 2022 presidential election Eric Zemmour arrives to cast his ballot at a polling station in Paris the candidate from the far-right National Rally party casts her ballot at a polling station in Henin-Beaumont French Socialist Party (PS) presidential candidate Anne Hidalgo casts her ballot at a polling station in Paris French President Emmanuel Macron(C) talks with residents after casting his ballot at a polling station in Le Touquet A citizen casts her vote at a polling station in Clichy near Paris A citizen arrives to vote at a polling station in Clichy near Paris An election identity card is pictured at a polling station in Clichy near Paris An election identity card is seen at a polling station in Clichy near Paris A citizen prepares to cast his ballot at a polling station in Clichy near Paris Citizens wait to cast their ballots at a polling station in Clichy near Paris A citizen casts his ballot at a polling station in Clichy near Paris A citizen casts his ballot at a polling station in Paris Citizens cast their ballots at a polling station in Paris 2022 (Xinhua) -- A citizen casts his ballot at a polling station in Marseille 2022 (Xinhua) -- A citizen casts the ballot at a polling station in Henin-Beaumont 2022 (Xinhua) -- Citizens cast their ballots at a polling station in Nice 2022 (Xinhua) -- A citizen casts her ballot at a polling station in Henin-Beaumont A staff member works at a polling station in Paris French President Emmanuel Macron (front) and his wife Brigitte Macron (2nd L back) walk out of a polling station after casting their ballots in Le Touquet French President Emmanuel Macron (C) and his wife Brigitte Macron (L) walk out of a polling station after casting their ballots in Le Touquet 2022 (Xinhua) -- France's far-right party 'Reconquete' candidate to the 2022 presidential election Eric Zemmour casts his vote at a polling station in Paris casts her vote at a polling station in Henin-Beaumont casts his vote at a polling station in Marseille France's far-right party 'Reconquete' candidate to the 2022 presidential election Eric Zemmour (R front) casts his vote at a polling station in Paris PARIS  —  France on Sunday took a step closer to delivering what was once seen as an unthinkable nightmare: a far-right government taking power in Paris for the first time According to early estimates by pollsters Ipsos the far-right National Rally is on course to win 34 percent of Sunday’s vote while French President Emmanuel Macron’s centrist alliance suffered staggering losses The left-wing alliance made a strong showing with 28.1 percent of the vote “The French people have shown that they want to draw a line under seven years of [Macron’s] disdainful rule,” said Le Pen speaking at a party event in the Eastern French town of Hénin-Beaumont the second round will be crucial … we need an absolute majority so that Jordan Bardella can be appointed prime minister by Emmanuel Macron,” she added According to early projections based on exit polls Le Pen’s party is expected to get 230-280 seats in the 577-seat national assembly the left wing alliance 125-165 seats and Macron’s coalition 70-100 Seat projections however are conjectural at this stage and dependent on political decisions taken in the coming days ahead of the second round of voting on July 7 Macron himself is due to stay in power until the end of his mandate in 2027 regardless of the outcome of this assembly election For latest updates read POLITICO’s French election live blog. France is voting in a crucial snap election that looks set to have a resounding impact across the continent at a critical time The EU’s centrist governments already face challenges from the Ukraine war to the prospect of Donald Trump regaining the White House The French far right is skeptical of France’s role in both NATO and the EU and a victory for the National Rally in Paris would have the potential to disrupt Western alliances when they’re already under strain If the early estimates are confirmed in later results, Le Pen’s party, now led by the slick 28 year-old Jordan Bardella stands a good chance of forming a ‘cohabitation’ government under Macron’s presidency the French president called for “democratic and republican” forces to unite against Le Pen’s party “Faced with the [rise of the] National Rally we need to foster a wide unity that is clearly democratic and republican ahead of the second round,” Macron said according to a statement from the Elysée Palace “The high turnout … shows how important the vote was for our fellow citizens and how they want to clarify the political situation.”  The French president shocked the nation and France’s international allies when he triggered the vote only a couple of weeks before the Olympic Games after a humiliating defeat in June’s European parliament election It was an audacious move designed to stop the far right advance in its tracks by forcing French voters to choose a new parliament On the strength of the early projections so far In constituencies where three candidates have qualified to go through to the second round next Sunday, the third-placed candidate will be under pressure to pull out to defeat the National Rally It looks likely that Macron will face a tough choice in many areas over whether to withdraw his candidates in an effort to defeat Le Pen’s party called on people to vote against National Rally and far-left France Unbowed candidates “I consider that no vote should be cast for the candidates of the National Rally nor for those of [hard-left] France Unbowed,” said Philippe who is Macron’s former prime minister and the head of center-right party Horizons He called on the presidential camp’s voters to back left-wing candidates only from the Green EU executive is planning a two-track approach of incentives and retaliatory measures to convince the White House to strike a deal Paris accused Russia’s Fancy Bear group of conducting cyberattacks on the French president’s campaign team Paris and Berlin have been at loggerheads for years you’re horrible people” and walk away if Moscow or Kyiv don’t play ball Front National leader tells supporters in party’s stronghold of Hénin-Beaumont: I am the candidate of the people Live: French election 2017 – reaction Live: French election 2017 – reaction Marine Le Pen told supporters the “survival of France” was at stake in the second round of the presidential election in a jubilant speech at her rally in Hénin-Beaumont in France’s northern rust belt The Front National president said the first step towards the Elysée had been taken and that it was time to “free the French people from the arrogant elites” “I am the candidate of the people,” she told the cheering crowd In a clear dig at her second-round rival Emmanuel Macron Le Pen said: “Savage globalisations puts our civilization in danger … I am presenting a fundamental alternative.” She described her victory as historic and said she welcomed the result with “humility and gratitude” before standing with her key FN aides to sing La Marseillaise Front National supporters in its Hénin-Beaumont heartland reacted with a roar and cheers of “Marine President” FN secretary for the Val d’Oise department adding: “Since I started campaigning for the FN there has been a rolling wave of support that has grown We are now just 15 days until she takes the reins to save this country “France is on the point of disappearing; in two weeks we will be able to put this country in order. The mood is euphoric. France will have the taste of the happiness of having Marine Le Pen as the head of state.” Read moreMany FN supporters, angry at a media they believe is against them One young woman waving a French tricolore was close to tears “It’s the most wonderful day of my life,” she said “All the polls said Marine Le Pen would be in the second round but so many people in the elite and the press were against her It was only natural for Le Pen to turn her back on the metropolitan Paris elite she professes to despise and drive north for two hours to vote in the former coal mining town of Hénin-Beaumont in France’s northern rust belt. One of her top generals, Steeve Briois, is the local mayor and she has a second home nearby. She was the only one of the main five candidates to shun the French capital and its suburbs and her message to what she calls “Forgotten France” was loud and clear: “I have not abandoned you”. As voting opened in the fiercely contested presidential election, the town’s streets were deserted apart from clusters of journalists interviewing each other. Le Pen voted early, arriving in a blue trouser suit, kissing the electoral officer on the cheek, smiling broadly, but saying nothing. Read moreOutside, as Le Pen cast her vote, police clashed with a dozen bare-breasted Femen protesters, who had jumped out of an SUV wearing Donald Trump and Le Pen masks, with “Team Marine” written across their chests. The women were arrested and takento a nearby police station. The far-right populist party has been in power in Hénin-Beaumont for three years after seven decades of leftwing rule. The unemployment rate among its 27,000 population runs at 20%, twice the national average. The FN promised solutions, but the jobless rate has not fallen under the far-right administration. In the town centre, lots of bars are closed, shop windows are boarded up and many buildings, with their flaking and grimy facades, have seen better days. Only the large town hall and church, clad in scaffolding, are looking forward to better days. Hénin-Beaumont is in a once prosperous region of Pas-de-Calais, home to waves of migrants from Belgium, Italy, Poland and north Africa, where miners and factory workers have historically voted left. In recent years, the FN has made increasing inroads into such rural and post-industrial areas where the unemployed and those struggling to make ends meet feel abandoned by the main political parties. Read more“There are a lot of problems here that’s why people are voting for Marine Le Pen,” said Pascale smoking a roll-up cigarette outside a local café my father said voting for the Front National would spark the third world war the party is not the same and this isn’t the case I didn’t know for whom I was going to vote I woke up this morning and still wasn’t sure Her friend said she was also from a working class family that had traditionally voted left but admitted: “It was a hard decision this time In the Tunisian restaurant on the town centre’s square the waiter laughed when asked what he thought of Le Pen Brios has tried to impose far-right solutions to local problems A supposed “wall against crime” ended up being a traffic control measure a “zero-immigrants charter” fell flat because very few of the recent waves of migrants actually want to go to Hénin-Beaumont the president of the charity Secours Populaire in the town told French journalists that the reign of Briois’ had been catastrophic One local said Briois was trying to clean up the town and “not doing such a bad job” through the narrow streets and into Hénin-Beaumont's weekend market white jeans a sharp contrast to the tracksuits around her the 40-year-old former lawyer and far-right politician offers handshakes smiles and encouragement in her smoker's rasp By her side is Steeve Briois, the local boy and Front National (FN) candidate who she hopes will be the mayor of this depressed former mining town in northern France when the final count from the second round of Hénin-Beaumont's municipal election is known at around nine o'clock tonight It is rare that a minor election in a small town in the Pas-de-Calais provokes so much interest But the story was all over French newspapers and TV last week Today sees its climax - and perhaps an indication of what may face France in the months to come as the economic crisis bites harder "It is a poll that will be written in history whatever happens," commented the local La Voix du Nord newspaper a victory in Hénin-Beaumont would be "the start of a new era" The FN would be running a municipal authority again for the first time in several years and for the first time in the blighted post-industrial political landscape of northern France a first critical step will have been taken to reverse the steady decline since the heady days of 2002 when Le Pen's father the former paratrooper who founded the FN in 1972 made it to the second round run-off in national presidential elections with a countrywide vote of 18% Le Pen fille will be established as the unchallenged "leader in waiting" of the party once her father In the first round of voting a week ago the FN scored well above 40% "Everywhere we see that there is a deep desire for a change," said former salesman Briois I know what people are thinking and feeling." Hénin-Beaumont is one of the poorest parts of France half-deserted industrial estates and vast fields of wheat bisected by six-lane motorways taking holidaymakers elsewhere The recent hit film Bienvenue chez les Ch'tis may have made the locals temporary comic heroes in the rest of France but it did nothing for unemployment rate which is as well as some of the lowest levels of education and technical skill in the country But though these are reasons to be unhappy they are not the main reason for the surge of the FN The region around Hénin-Beaumont is the fief of the French Parti Socialiste (PS) and suffers all the problems that go with decades of one-party rule "There has been a classic pattern of elected politicians treating their positions as a sinecure no fresh blood at all and little in the way of ideology either," said Jean-Yves Camus an expert in rightwing extremism at the Paris Institute of International Relations and Strategy thinktank This weekend's poll follows the imprisonment of the serving mayor on wide-ranging charges of systematic corruption and the resignation of virtually all his colleagues The fraud is reported to have cost the town colossal sums leading to local taxes rising steeply while schools' grants are cut taxes will have to rise even further or deep cuts be made in the municipal budget or both To make things even easier for Briois and the FN "It's a set of circumstances perfectly suited to the Front National," said Frédéric Dabi of the pollsters Ifop "They can justly claim to have been the only ones to denounce the local corruption scandal while nobody listened and that plays into their core claim to be the representatives of those who are marginalised by France's elites." who makes a thin living selling cheap clothes from his market stall had set up his display of fluorescent T-shirts and tracksuits outside the local cafe where beer had replaced coffee as the drink of choice Roget will be voting for Briois and Le Pen today his complaints were typical of those heard in bars and bistros came unemployment and the crisis of the welfare state "The kids in France have got no jobs at all and we are all being asked to work longer and have our pensions and benefits cut." Then came the politicians and the Paris elite who "don't give a stuff about ordinary people" and simply spend money on "fast trains or big planes" They never listened to any "ordinary people" "We had jobs in Hénin," Roget said They have factories where it is slave labour Finally, there was the maverick rightwing president, Nicolas Sarkozy "You see him everywhere and he makes a lot of noise and spouts a lot of hot air but the result is pretty thin It's just to keep us all quiet," he spat amid the posters calling for a halt to "robbery by the European Union" and for "France for the French first" Le Pen claimed that she and her party were the natural inheritors of the tradition of working-class "The Socialists have broken all their links with the popular vote," she said "The French Socialist party defends wealthy bureaucrats it defends the BoBos [Bourgeois Bohemians] Here politicians have always defended the interests of the workers they haven't recently and will pay the price." The strategy of hunting for votes on the left as well as the right has split the FN and the debates have mirrored those in the British National party Three years ago Marine Le Pen persuaded her father to ditch the hardline anti-immigration language and tone down the borderline racism and implicit antisemitism the FN could break the barriers placed in its way by traditional parties by becoming "respectable" and gain support by adapting its key message I'm happy to see that my strategy has worked." The extremism of her father who dismissed the Holocaust as a "detail of history" and called the Nazi occupation of France "relatively humane" "It's true that we have sometimes given our opponents a stick to beat us with but .. and was attacked because of the truths he told because of global warming - is going to be the number one issue in the 21st century." She broke off to greet a veteran supporter "I'm 70 years old and have had enough of all these old farts," he told her "We need young people to get things moving again." a law student from Paris who has come up to campaign "I'm here because the FN are the only party who defend the values I learned when I was young.. like the love of your country," she said "I'm sure we will win on Sunday." "I'm just an ordinary guy from the town," he said The question worrying many is whether the success of the FN in Hénin-Beaumont can be reproduced elsewhere The party suffered badly in the 2007 presidential elections and did not make any real progress in the European parliamentary elections this year One reason for its weakness was the success of Sarkozy who positioned his conservative UMP party about as far to the right as he could go in the 2007 campaign and who remains relatively popular for a midterm leader in the middle of economic crisis "All the main rallying points for the FN - the flag immigration - have been appropriated by Sarkozy," said Dabi "There is no sign that those voters who switched to vote for Sarkozy are drifting back." Marine Le Pen will struggle to follow in her father's footsteps "Marine has the name and so inherits some of the appeal of her father and some legitimacy as leader," he said his ability to rouse an audience and take them with him." Experienced watchers of extremists counsel against "hasty judgments" about a sudden turn of fortunes for the FN "The situation in Hénin-Beaumont is exceptional," Camus said "People have been talking a lot about a new wave of support for the radical right wing but in fact in much of Europe they are in trouble and apart from in the UK and in the Netherlands have struggled to make any kind of breakthrough." have called on voters to go for the main leftwing candidate But this so-called Republican Front risks backfiring by playing to the FN's message that it is being blocked from power by the "elite" and their media backers We are not in Iran," said Sylvie Régnier "We have the right to be heard and to make our own decisions." a specialist in vocational education for school leavers gamely tried to distribute her "Open your eyes" leaflets We can't have our community become the only FN town in France," she said Shoppers were not receptive to her message "Sometimes they just tell me to go back to whichever country I came from though actually I was born 10 miles away," she said "But most of them just say they have already made up their minds They are not very keen on a discussion." When Jean-Marie finally retires from active politics next year another chapter in the Le Pen family saga will have closed and - his daughter Marine hopes - a new one will be opening The twists and turns of Le Pen's political and personal life have been covered in the French press Scores of books about him have been released as well as dozens of films Part of the fascination is the Dallas side of the clan two of his daughters - including Marine - and their children share a mansion and five-hectare estate in western Paris His daughter Marie-Caroline was ostracised from the party and the family when the FN split in the 1990s and she sided with her father's rival Relations between Marine and her father have not always been straightforward either "Like any family we have had our difficulties but we sort them out," she told the Observer two years ago "The attacks against us have made us very close But we are a tribe and we stick together." The end of Le Pen's career after more than three decades dominating the French far right leaves a gaping hole in the national political landscape it will be up to me to write on the blank pages," said Marine This is the archive of The Observer up until 21/04/2025 The Observer is now owned and operated by Tortoise Media PARIS (Reuters) – France’s far right National Rally (RN) party and its allies are seen leading the first round of the country’s parliamentary elections with 35.5% of the vote The Ipsos survey – conducted for Le Parisien newspaper and Radio France on June 19-20 – showed the left-wing New Popular Front (NPF) alliance in second place with 29.5% of the vote President Emmanuel Macron’s centrist alliance was seen in third place The turnout rate is seen at between 60 and 64% which would be much higher than the 47.5% seen at the last general election in June 2022 The RN’s lead in polls ahead of the election that will take place in two rounds is unlikely to win the party an absolute majority Macron called the ballot after his alliance’s crushing defeat at EU elections earlier this month the National Rally is seen as the most trustworthy when it comes to managing the economy and public finances 25% of respondents trust Marine Le Pen’s RN the most to take the right decisions on economic issues versus 22% for the New Popular Front and 20% for Macron’s alliance (Reporting by Benoit Van Overstraeten; Editing by Susan Fenton) Powered by PageSuite