National Rally secures first parliamentary group in France’s Senate
France’s National Rally has won enough seats in Senate elections to form its first parliamentary group, according to near-final results reported by French media. The breakthrough gives Marine Le Pen’s party greater procedural rights in the upper house and strengthens her position ahead of next year’s presidential election.
Marine Le Pen’s National Rally has secured enough seats to form a parliamentary group in France’s Senate for the first time, according to near-final results reported by French media on Sunday. The official outcome is due to be published on Monday. Le Pen described the result on social media as a “historic victory” and a “major milestone”.
She said the gains had exceeded expectations and reflected what she called the party’s growing popularity across France. Her comments came before the full results were available. Around half of the Senate’s seats were contested.
Unlike members of the National Assembly, French senators are not elected directly by the public. About 93,500 elected officials, mainly local and regional representatives, were eligible to vote in the indirect election. The National Rally previously held three Senate seats, well below the 10 required to create a parliamentary group.
Its gains were helped by support from a new right-wing splinter party led by Eric Ciotti, the former chairman of the conservative Republicans and mayor of Nice since the end of March. Forming a group will give the National Rally additional rights in the chamber, including greater control over speaking time, the ability to put questions to the government and a role in setting the agenda. The Senate had been dominated by conservatives, and major changes in its balance of power had not been expected.
The result is also a boost for Le Pen as she prepares for next year’s presidential election. The National Rally has been the largest group in the National Assembly since the 2024 general election, while Le Pen has led opinion polls for months and is considered to have a strong chance of reaching the presidential run-off. Her prospects remain affected by a conviction for embezzling European Union funds.
An appeal court upheld the conviction in July, and Le Pen appealed to France’s Court of Cassation. Depending on the timing of its ruling, she could face restrictions, including an electronic tag, during the campaign. If elected president, she would have immunity during her term.
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