The French far right on Saturday (August 29, 2026) accused the left of seeking to “undermine civil peace” should Marine Le Pen win the Presidential election next spring, underscoring the increasingly confrontational tone of the campaign.
Mr. Bardella. Mr.
Bruno Retailleau of the right-wing Republicans (LR) said on Friday (August 28) he would not be dropping out of the race in favour of former Prime Minister Edouard Philippe, who is seen as the best-positioned right-wing candidate to reach the run-off, or of any other candidate.
Speaking at an agricultural fair in the northeastern town of Chalons-en-Champagne, Jordan Bardella, President of Le Pen’s anti-immigrant, eurosceptic National Rally (RN) party and her choice for Prime Minister in the event of victory, said he was concerned by calls from the left for “civil disobedience” if the RN comes to power. Bardella, 30, said they amounted to “an admission of weakness from the left, which hates democracy and is calling into question the fundamental principles of the rule of law and the electoral process”. “The attitude of France Unbowed at the start of this campaign is deeply worrying,” said Mr. Mathilde Panot, Parliamentary leader of France Unbowed, and Greens leader Marine Tondelier have recently said they would support “civil disobedience” in the event of an RN victory. Bardella said he was concerned about Melenchon’s “true intentions.
With less than eight months until the vote, far-right leader Le Pen, 58, remains the front-runner in the polls. The country’s main business lobby, this week, a majority of French business leaders are concerned about the impact that the next President’s economic policies could have on their companies, with 82% saying they were pessimistic, according to a survey published by Medef.
