Le Pen, Marine
France’s Far-Right Surges Into Parliament, and Further Into the Mainstream
PARIS — In 2017, after the far-right leader Marine Le Pen and her allies won only a handful of seats in parliamentary elections, she blamed France’s two-round voting system for shutting her party out of Parliament despite getting over one million ballots cast in its favor. “We are eight,” she said bitterly, referring to the […]
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It’s Macron vs. the Left in a Fierce Battle for France’s Parliament
PALAISEAU, France — Five years ago, Amélie de Montchalin, a politician known more for her quiet technocratic skills than her oratory, easily won election to Parliament from this southern suburb of Paris, and later became one of President Emmanuel Macron’s ministers. But at a small rally last week, at risk of losing her seat to […]
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Newly United, French Left Hopes to Counter President in Upcoming Vote
ALLEX, France — With its centuries-old stone villages nestled among lavender fields, cows and goats grazing in the mountains and miles of vineyards, the Drôme region resembles a France in miniature. Steeped in tradition and seemingly averse to change, the vast southeastern district, tucked between Lyon and Marseille, has for the past two decades been […]
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Emmanuel Macron Inaugurated for a 2nd Term as France President
PARIS — Beneath the chandeliers of the Elysée Palace, Emmanuel Macron was inaugurated on Saturday for a second five-year term as president of France, vowing to lead more inclusively and to “act first to avoid any escalation following the Russian aggression in Ukraine.” In a sober speech lasting less than ten minutes, remarkably short for […]
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Are Traditional Political Parties Dead in France?
PARIS — Since the 1950s, France’s traditional left- and right-wing parties have provided three-quarters of the country’s presidents and nearly all of its prime ministers. Parliament has also swung from one to the other in alternating waves of pink, the color associated with the Socialist Party or its predecessors, and blue, which represents the main […]
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Inside Le Pen Territory as France Votes in a Runoff Election
“If women are wearing them just for their religion, OK,” Mr. Gérard said, “but I think in general it’s a provocation.” Maryvonne Duché, another firm supporter of Ms. Le Pen, was seated at a table close by. She started work at 14 as a sales clerk, before spending 34 years on the production line at […]
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Who Will France’s Muslims Choose for President?
BONDY, France — Abdelkrim Bouadla voted enthusiastically for Emmanuel Macron five years ago, drawn by his youth and his message of transforming France. But after a presidency that he believes harmed French Muslims like himself, Mr. Bouadla, a community leader who has long worked with troubled young people, was torn. He likened the choice confronting […]
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As Marine Le Pen Moves Closer to French Presidency, Putin Ties Persist
PARIS — When Europe’s far-right leaders gathered in Madrid in January, they had no problem finding unity on the issues they hold dear, whether cracking down on immigrants or upholding “European Christian ideals.” But as Russian troops massed on the Ukrainian border, they were divided on one issue: the threat posed by President Vladimir V. […]
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Macron and Le Pen Trade Punches in Pivotal French Election Debate
“The Yellow Vests told you they wanted more democracy and they were not heard,” she said. “I think the biggest problem at the end of these five years is the disunion, the division, that you have caused among the French people, the feeling of contempt they have, the feeling of not being listened to, of […]
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