Since the new legislature which followed the dissolution, and while Jordan Bardella's book hits bookstores on Saturday November 9, the National Rally must continue to be content with the role of opponent. In the Var, in July, the party conquered 7 of the 8 constituencies in the department. Four months later, voters are still hungover and some are calling on Marine Le Pen and her troops to bring down the government.
On a market in Toulon, RN activists are in the middle of a towing operation. In front of the stalls at Cour Lafayette, many retirees pass by and most take the leaflet handed to them with a smile. They are already committed to the cause of the far-right party. And when the discussion begins, the same refrain comes up almost every time: “We deserve better than that, it was obvious theft”says a man. “People always put obstacles in our way, we need to clean up this country, unfortunately”this woman says, when another seethes. “I am very angry, I am angry about everything. And Madame Le Pen, I love her and I will vote for her,” she assures.
These voters have still not digested the result of the legislative elections, with this Republican front which stood up against the RN. Lydia and Marc, two former Macronists, are particularly angry with one man, Emmanuel Macron. “It’s just a shame.”slips Lydia, while her companion declares “that over time, we will probably declare the worst presidency of the Fifth Republic”. Today, this couple of young retirees has joined the National Rally.
“Even though they weren’t my first choice, over time I find they are consistent.”
Lydia, former macronist joined the RNat franceinfo
Marc calls for patience: “We have to wait now, two years, two and a half years. If they know how to wait, I think they will have everything to gain.”
But while waiting for the next deadline, these voters do not all agree with the RN's strategy since the start of the school year. Some do not understand the relative benevolence shown by Marine Le Pen in the Assembly towards the Barnier government. According to an Ifop-Fiducial study, published around ten days ago, more than one in two RN supporters want the party to quickly vote on the motion of censure. “We should have done this a long time ago”adds an RN sympathizer in Toulon. “We must overthrow the government and try to see what we can plan in terms of what we expect today.”
The party's project is precisely questioning the most attentive Lepenist voters. Jean-Claude, 86, praises the party's very social positioning, particularly on pension reform. Until he was reminded that Marine Le Pen's deputies at the same time voted, a fortnight ago, against the reestablishment of the ISF, the solidarity tax on wealth, which 'he didn't understand. “Even if these people can put their hands in their pockets, they can be taxedhe admits. I think we can get a few bucks in there.”
A passerby joins the discussion, but refuses the leaflet handed to him by the activists. This former voter of Jean-Marie Le Pen is downright annoyed by the RN's changes in strategy.
“They are fighting for issues that are not essential.”
Jean-Marie, a disappointed voterat franceinfo
The party should not call itself either right or left, according to him. “We are in the National Front why ? For invasive immigration, for things like that”he replies, indicating that “if we want to save money”, it would be better “suppress migrant aid associations” rather than returning to pension reform. “Next time, I might vote for Reconquest”concludes this voter.
However, Marine Le Pen's electorate is not likely to erode. In any case, that's what the opinion studies say. But the more the National Rally normalizes and gets closer to power, the more it risks disappointing the most radical of its voters and losing the vote of anti-systems.
Leaving the Toulon market, we meet a man on the terrace of a café. “I don’t vote anymore, it’s over”confides this thirty-year-old from Marseille. Tony, employed in the South Region, voted RN, but now he puts the National Rally in the same bag as the other parties. “I am disappointed in everyone. We work, we can no longer even provide for our own needs, the people like us, we no longer live !” He welcomes certain proposals from Marine Le Pen, but ultimately, even the RN does like the others, according to him.
“Once they are elected, nothing more happens, it’s always the same.”
Tony, former voterat franceinfo
Attracting new voters without driving away old ones: this is the difficult equation that Marine Le Pen will have to resolve if she wants to succeed Emmanuel Macron.
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