Legislative: in the minds of National Rally voters. 10 graphics

The National Consultative Commission on Human Rights (CNCDH), a public institution attached to the Prime Minister’s office, published on Thursday, June 27, the 35th edition of its barometer on the fight against racism, anti-Semitism and xenophobia. This barometer, which consists of a series of surveys conducted in person in November 2023, shows the perception by voters of the National Rally – leading the polls for the legislative elections of June 30 and July 7 – of contemporary France, its problems and the solutions they are in favor of to “straighten out” the country.

1 — An inevitable feeling of downgrading

First, an observation: 84% of National Rally voters say that they consider that life is worse today than it was a few years ago – almost twice as many as the electorate of the presidential party.

2 — Fear of being replaced

This feeling of downgrading goes hand in hand with another crucial fact: that of the fear of replacement, or at least of a form of “dilution” of French identity supposedly caused by immigration. Thus, 9 out of 10 RN voters consider that they no longer feel “at home as before” in France.

3 — Distrust of others

A disturbing figure compared to the average of voters of other parties (including the far-right): less than 8% of the RN electorate consider that “most people can be trusted”. In an overwhelming majority (92%), voters of the party of Jordan Bardella and Marine Le Pen consider that “one can never be careful enough when dealing with others”.

4 — Immigration: main problem

Almost as many (84%) directly place immigration (whether legal or not) as the main cause of insecurity in France.

5 — Confidence in the army and authoritarian tendency

Faced with this feeling of insecurity, almost a third (31%) of RN voters surveyed consider that placing the army in power would be a good way to govern the country.

This desire for authority is notably linked to a lack of trust in the political class: 86% of National Rally voters say they consider that politicians “rarely tell the truth”. 58% completely agree with this statement — the only party whose voters majority think so.

6 — An electorate that accepts its racism

This is perhaps the most central piece of data in this barometer: when asked, during a face-to-face interview and not online or by telephone, whether they consider themselves racist, more than 54% of RN voters respond with “rather” or “a little”.

Consequently, more than half (51%) of the RN electorate considers that French citizens of Muslim faith are not French citizens like the others.

Also, more than one in five RN voters (21%) think that there are “races superior to others” – or 50% more than the Reconquest electorate!

In accordance with Jordan Bardella’s campaign promises for these legislative elections, 68% of RN voters consider that French citizens should be favoured over foreigners living legally in the country with regard to employment or housing assistance.

In its campaign program, the National Rally thus promises the establishment of “national priority” (if necessary by constitutional referendum) in the event of victory in the legislative elections. This policy, put forward by Jean-Marie Le Pen since the 1980s, would exclude foreigners without French citizenship from certain social assistance schemes but also a portion of bi-national French citizens.