The National Front, or Front National (FN), is the extreme right-wing party in France. Founded in 1972, the FN is an anti-democratic party which opposes immigration, state intervention and European integration. It promotes policies that favour the family and community, the free-market economy and the repatriation of non-European ‘foreigners’—even those who are French citizens—to their country of origin.
The FN became electorally significant in the 1980s when it obtained 11% of the vote in the 1984 European elections. In the 1990s it won 15% of the vote in the first round of the presidential elections held in 1995 and 15.24% of the vote and one seat in elections to the Assemblée Nationale held in 1997. The FN won 275 seats in regional councils in 1998 and some elements of the moderate right in the Union for French Democracy were prepared to enter into electoral pacts with the FN to reduce the success of the left-wing parties. The FN has also shaped the mainstream political agenda, especially around such issues as immigration and unemployment.
In 1999 the FN split into two parties following a power struggle between its leader, Jean-Marie Le Pen, and Bruno Mégret. Le Pen’s FN officially became the National Front for French Unity (Front National pour l’Unité Française) and in January 1999 Mégret founded the National Republican Movement (Mouvement Républican National—MRN). While the parties were ideologically similar, Mégret’s MRN declared itself more open to co-operation with mainstream right-wing parties.
Le Pen won 16.86% of the vote in the first round of the presidential elections held in April 2002, coming second to Jacques Chirac who obtained 18.88% of the vote. In the second round of voting one week later, Chirac secured 82.21% of the vote and Le Pen 17.79%. In the first round of elections to the 577-seat Assemblée Nationale, held on 9 June 2002, the FN won 11.12% of the vote but no parliamentary seats.
Party Leader: Jean-Marie Le Pen
Address: 4 rue Vauguyon, 92210 Saint-Cloud, France
