France’s far right to form Senate group for the first time — France 24

In France, the far-right National Rally party and its allies won 14 seats in the Senate following indirect elections. This is enough to form a parliamentary group in the upper house of parliament for the first time in the party’s history, France 24 reports.

Record result

National Rally and its allies secured a record 14 out of 348 seats in the Senate, where right-wing forces dominate. At least 10 seats are required to create a Senate group. National Rally presidential candidate Marine Le Pen called the result a “historic victory” and an important milestone for the party.

In the September 27 election, nine senators from National Rally were elected. Three more party representatives won mandates in 2023. Two seats were won by representatives of Eric Ciotti’s Union of the Right for the Republic party, which is allied with National Rally.

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Formation of the group

National Rally president Jordan Bardella said that his party’s senators would form a group together with allies from the Union of the Right for the Republic. Eric Ciotti left the centre-right Republicans party in 2024 after calling for an alliance with the far right.

Half of the French Senate is renewed every three years through indirect voting by local elected officials. Senators serve six-year terms. The president of the upper house of parliament, 77-year-old Gerard Larcher of the Republicans party, is expected to be re-elected to the post next week.