RN Calls for ‘General Mobilization’ Ahead of French Municipal Runoff

CHÂLONS-EN-CHAMPAGNE, France – Jordan Bardella, president of France’s National Rally (RN), and Marine Le Pen, the party’s leader, rallied supporters in Châlons-en-Champagne on Tuesday, calling for a “general mobilization” ahead of the second round of municipal elections this weekend. The appeal came after the RN secured a foothold in 24 municipalities in the first round, with ten of those being held by incumbent RN mayors.

Addressing a crowd estimated at over 2,000, Bardella urged supporters to confirm the party’s “historic breakthrough” from the first round. The RN is hoping to capitalize on its momentum, with 260 candidates advancing to the second round, including Achille Bisiaux in Châlons-en-Champagne, who is challenging incumbent Benoist Apparu.

Le Pen echoed Bardella’s call, urging the party’s 13 million presidential voters from 2022 to support the RN candidates. “Let those who trusted me in 2022 go and bring them their encouragement, their support, their ballot,” she said.

Laurent Jacobelli, a Member of Parliament for Moselle and head of the RN group in the Grand Est region, opened the rally with a direct appeal to voters, calling on them to reject both the left and the current government led by President Emmanuel Macron.

Both Le Pen and Bardella embraced the label of “populist,” with Le Pen stating she was “proud” to be described as such if it meant serving the French people and maintaining a “moral contract” with voters. She sharply criticized the Macron administration, labeling its record as “catastrophic” and “confounding,” and also attacked left-wing parties, accusing them of aligning with Jean-Luc Mélenchon’s La France Insoumise (LFI).

Bardella delivered a speech focused on core RN themes of security and immigration, and directly appealed to right-wing voters to join forces with the party. He acknowledged a lack of reciprocal support from mainstream right-wing candidates, but framed this as an opportunity to build a broader “patriotic alliance” ahead of the 2027 presidential election.

According to web search results, Jordan Bardella assumed the presidency of the National Rally in September 2021 and has been a Member of the European Parliament since 2019. He previously served as the party’s vice-president from 2019 to 2022.

The rally concluded without a specific commitment from other right-wing parties, leaving the prospect of a broader alliance for 2027 unresolved.