The National Rally (Rassemblement National, RN), formerly known as the National Front (Front National, FN), is a French nationalist and right-wing populist party. Established in 1972 by Jean-Marie Le Pen, it has grown from a marginal political force to a major player in French politics.
The party rebranded itself as the National Rally in 2018 under Marine Le Pen's leadership, aiming to soften its image and broaden its appeal.
The RN strongly advocates for French nationalism and stringent immigration policies. The party calls for significant reductions in legal immigration, tighter control over illegal immigration, and measures to protect French identity.
It opposes immigration policies that allow family reunification and settlement, instead advocating for asylum applications to be processed abroad and for social assistance to be restricted to French nationals.
The RN prioritizes law and order, proposing harsher sentencing, increased prison capacity, and measures to ensure every criminal and offender is punished. The party supports reintroducing the death penalty through a referendum and aims to eliminate the possibility of sentence reductions for violent crimes.
Marine Le Pen has also proposed the creation of a presumption of self-defense for law enforcement agencies.
The RN's economic stance has shifted over the years from neoliberalism to protectionism. The party supports economic interventionism, advocating for policies that prioritize French businesses and workers.
It proposes reducing VAT on energy products, increasing wages by exempting employer contributions, and renationalizing motorways to lower tolls.
The party has a strong focus on supporting French families and youth. It proposes tax incentives for families, increased support for single mothers, and financial incentives for young entrepreneurs.
The RN also aims to provide affordable housing and create opportunities for young people to enter the workforce.
The RN seeks to restore the authority and quality of the French education system by focusing on core subjects and teacher training. The party proposes increasing salaries for educators, reducing class sizes, and reinstating school uniforms.
In healthcare, the RN advocates for stopping bed closures in public hospitals, increasing salaries for caregivers, and investing in health technologies.
The RN aims to provide a dignified retirement for the elderly by re-indexing pensions to inflation, upgrading minimum pensions, and rejecting any extension of the retirement age. The party also proposes measures to support disabled individuals, including increasing the Adult Disability Allowance and improving access to public services and education.
Historically Eurosceptic, the RN now advocates for reforming the EU from within rather than leaving it. The party supports maintaining the euro and remaining in the Schengen Area but calls for reforms to prioritize French laws over EU legislation.
On NATO, the RN proposes leaving its integrated military command structure while maintaining membership in the alliance.
The RN supports a diplomatic approach to international relations, advocating for stronger ties with Russia and other nations. The party opposes sanctions against Russia and supports a federated Ukraine with significant regional autonomy.
The RN also favors restoring relations with Syria and strengthening cooperation with Israel, the United States, and other key global players.
The RN champions electoral reform, advocating for full proportional representation in French elections to better reflect voter preferences. The party also supports the use of referendums on critical issues such as the death penalty, immigration policy, and constitutional changes, aiming to increase direct democratic participation in the political process.
The Rassemblement National is also known as National Rally, Rn, Rn (Rassemblement National).