Last Sunday, Franck voted for the first time in his life in a presidential election. And in the voting booth, this 22-year-old student did not hesitate for a second: for him, Marine Le Pen was “obvious”. His program “for youth”, his measures to “strengthen purchasing power”, the “quality of his campaign”, his “presence” … Conquered by the candidate of the National Rally (RN), the young man quotes with enthusiasm the many reasons for his political commitment. Raised by militant National Front parents, very quickly politicized, he frankly admits his regret at not having been able to vote for “Marine” in 2017 – then aged 17 and 11 months, the teenager had come a hair’s breadth from doing hear his voice. No matter: Franck has taken advantage of the last five years to refine his political opinions… And assume them in broad daylight. In the cover image of his Facebook account, he proudly displays a photo of himself at the Marine Le Pen meeting in Reims, last February, while specifying his recent position as “Regional Youth Coordinator with Marine Nouvelle-Aquitaine”. On Twitter, he publishes almost daily photos of his days of towing or his meetings on board the bus “in the colors of Marine”, from which he tries to convince voters on the ground. “But it hasn’t always been like that,” admits Franck, who only started publishing this type of content on the networks in 2021, after “officially” joining the RN.
During his first years at Sciences Po Bordeaux, the young man even began to question his commitment. “The general atmosphere of the school made me doubt,” he explains, then discreet about his political affiliations. “I did not talk about it, because I knew that there could be problems with my friendly relations for example. There was a certain pressure to assume to support the RN, it was really very badly seen”, says- he. But over time – and the campaign – the student notices a relaxation. “When Marine Le Pen began to commit to youth or purchasing power, the embarrassment was less strong. Some began to assume that they were voting for her, Nicolas Dupont-Aignan or Eric Zemmour”. Franck ends up breaking the taboo, and officially publishes his membership in the party on Facebook. “At school, several people then came to see me admitting that they too were interested in Marine, and had gone beyond the clichés they had of the RN”.
Within his own family, the student also meets aunts or uncles accustomed to “voting left”, who suddenly confide in him their desire to vote Marine Le Pen. And around the bus in the colors of the RN with which he is currently crisscrossing Finistère, he notes a “new membership”. “Compared to last summer, it has nothing to do. As the campaign progresses, the reception is more and more positive. I have the impression that it is clearly easier to ‘Admit to vote for Marine in 2022,’ he concludes, delighted.
In five years, has the Rassemblement National candidate finally succeeded in blowing away the last doubts of certain voters around her party – and her name? According to a report by the Jean Jaurès Foundation published in early April, the French seem in any case to consider Marine Le Pen as much more presidential than in 2017. If Emmanuel Macron remains in their eyes the candidate “having the most the makings of a president” (65% of those polled think so), Marine Le Pen comes just behind, with 39% of the vote. Four points more than last February, and half more than in 2017 – the French were then only 21% to consider that she had the makings of a future head of state. “It is therefore a real tour de force”, comments the report of the Jean Jaurès Foundation.
“The nice one of the gang”
For the communicator Raphaël Llorca, expert associated with the Jean Jaurès Foundation and author of New far-right masks (Editions de l’Aube, 2022), the famous “de-demonization” of the National Rally would thus have “worked very well” for ten years. “We must not forget that there was a structured, organized, coherent and methodical offensive, on the part of a whole host of actors in the RN, who succeeded not only in demonizing the ideas of the party, but above all in make them desirable”, he analyzes. Via the communication campaigns carried out on social networks, the softening “on the form” of the speech or even the new “sympathy capital” of Marine Le Pen, the specialist describes “a process of stylization” of the RN, in particular for five years . “They understood that we had changed times, and plowed the ground with modern communications, videos, influencers, cultural references… To the point that their ideas no longer seem taboo, but would be the simple pillars of a perfectly acceptable way of life, with well-defined criteria”. In this way, the party would have succeeded “in lowering the cost of adhering to extreme ideas”, specifies the researcher, borrowing the formula from the Italian writer and journalist Giuliano da Empoli. “Until now, it was difficult to admit joining the RN in front of certain relatives, friends, colleagues … This is no longer really the case today”, he develops.
According to Erwan Lecoeur, sociologist and specialist on the far right, this phenomenon would have been reinforced above all by the “automatic refocusing” of Marine Le Pen on the political spectrum, due to the development of small groups, even parties, deemed “more extreme”. . “By ousting certain members of the RN or by communicating about her rejection of several fascist, neo-Nazi or identity groups, she shows that there are ‘worse than her’. And it works”, develops the sociologist, also referring to the candidacy of ‘Eric Zemmour in the presidential election. “While he was targeting women, Muslims, immigrants, he managed to push through concepts that would have been deemed unacceptable in public debate ten or even five years ago. And opened up the possibility for Marine Le Pen to become the nice one of the gang”. Because during this time, the RN candidate took advantage of the radicalism of Eric Zemmour to refocus her own campaign on purchasing power, food sovereignty or the price of fuel – and thus seduce a new category of the population.
“She wants to lower taxes, help young people… She brings solutions to our daily problems,” argues Cassandra, who has just voted Marine Le Pen for her first presidential election. For this 18-year-old Breton, the current departmental councilor of Pas-de-Calais would be “much softer and more presidential than other candidates” … And above all would have nothing to do with her father. “Jean-Marie Le Pen and his statements of 40 years ago are in the past. I want to look to the future”, insists the young woman, getting annoyed at the accusations of “naivety” of some of his relatives. Because Cassandra assumes it: in front of her family or her bosses, she confesses without blinking to vote for Le Pen. “I even managed to open a few minds,” she rejoices. A few months ago, she convinced her aunt, an activist Les Républicains, to vote for the RN in the first round of the election. It is only with some of her classmates that Cassandra remains discreet. “Between young people, it’s still a bit taboo”. But the student in hotel and catering assures it: more and more, some of them “let hear” their admiration for “Marine”. “They don’t say it openly, but we understand each other. It’s much easier than before.”
“I am more determined than ever”
While a Elabe survey published Wednesday, April 13 indicates that Marine Le Pen collects 46.5% of voting intentions in the second round (against 53.5% for Emmanuel Macron), the political scientist specializing in nationalism and extremism Jean-Yves Camus recalls, for his part, that the phenomenon of “hate” of the head of state is also to be taken into account in the current success of the RN. “Some voters say to themselves that Emmanuel Macron must be erased at all costs – even if it means accepting the far right”, deciphers the researcher. “Marine Le Pen benefits from this label of anti-system candidate. For many, she is an alternative, one that they have not yet ‘tried'”, abounds Erwan Lecoeur. After having voted for Jean-Luc Mélenchon in the first round, Vincent is thus one of those French people who assume to vote RN to “counter Emmanuel Macron”. This 66-year-old yellow vest, who nevertheless demonstrated against Jean-Marie Le Pen’s accession to the second round in 2002, admits to having changed his tune.
“I am even more determined than ever. We are coming to a time when democracy as we have known it no longer works. In five years, something has obviously happened,” he explains. During Macron’s five-year term, Vincent admits to having “radicalized” himself against the power in place, while taking an interest in the programs of other candidates. For him, Marine Le Pen “has changed”. “There is a desire to speak to people ‘from below’, she felt the desire of a large number of French people to really change things,” said the sixty-year-old. To the point of forgetting certain positions of Marine Le Pen, such as her contestation of the existence of police violence.
“She remains a politician, she makes this kind of statement to seduce the police electorate … I choose to trust her”, eludes the yellow vest, yet revolted by the injuries suffered by these comrades during their various demonstrations. Vincent is categorical: despite Jean-Luc Mélenchon’s instructions after his defeat in the first round, “many” LFI relatives or yellow vest friends would now assume their RN vote. “When I announce it, they answer me ‘me too’… While some had never even voted for the right! Something has been unblocked, I guarantee it to you”.