For their second working seminar in less than two months, on June 12, will the executives of the National Rally (RN) discuss the taboo of July 7? On this day, in just one month, the Paris Court of Appeal will deliver its judgment concerning Marine Le Pen and several elected or former elected officials of the party in the European Parliament. If the judges confirm the first instance judgment
Marine Le Pen, self-proclaimed “natural candidate” of the RN in the next presidential election, will not be able to run in 2027.
During the first seminar held in April, the question was raised by a manager. An icy silence followed the remark of the elected official in question. “She narrowly missed being decapitated,” whispers a present. “No one talks about it,” confirms another elected official who nevertheless confides that there is little chance that “it’s Marine.”
The matter is as personal as it is political. Personal, because Marine Le Pen dedicated her life to the National Front which became RN, which she shaped to conquer power. Political, because the party with the flame is at more than 30% in all the polls of voting intentions, 15 points ahead of its competitors, and it is therefore at the gates of power.
Bardella in ambush
Jordan Bardella, president of the RN for seven years, knows this. In ambush, the one who often says “prepare to be Marine Le Pen’s Prime Minister” has already put on the candidate’s costume. The French also see him that way, placing him slightly ahead of Marine Le Pen in all the polls.
In the media, he is becoming more and more independent, taking positions that do not conform to those held by the party for a long time. While Marine Le Pen repeats that the RN’s plan for retirement remains that of 2022 (62 years for the legal age and 60 years for those who started their careers early), Jordan Bardella procrastinates. “We are examining the question of age,” he said at the end of May on LCI, leaving several elected officials speechless.
The pension trap
One of them can’t believe that nothing has been discussed internally and is worried about the debate that this arouses in the media, all of which relate to the wedge between Marine Le Pen and Jordan Bardella. “The pension system is not economically sustainable. We need to build a fairer system,” explained Jordan Bardella, still on LCI. The first part of the sentence will appeal to right-wing liberals, the second to those with left-wing sensibilities. A sort of new “at the same time” which creates vagueness. “We have two extraordinarily popular leaders, great polls, a lot of activists and we are creating problems on pensions!”, annoys a Marinist.
Will the weekend seminar clear up misunderstandings about both the July 7 deadline and the program? The appointment of MEP Julien Sanchez as campaign director satisfied everyone at the RN. Understanding sailors and bardellists. One less debate.
Marine Le Pen was sentenced at first instance to four years of imprisonment, two of which were suspended, a fine of 100,000 euros and five years of ineligibility with immediate execution.
