France’s National Rally secures historic Senate group

France’s far-right National Rally (RN) and its ally, the Union of the Right for the Republic (UDR), have won enough seats to form a group in the Senate for the first time, marking a breakthrough for the party ahead of the 2027 presidential election.

Far right expands Senate presence

The breakthrough came after 178 of the Senate’s 348 seats were contested on Sunday across 64 of France’s 101 departments. Senators are indirectly elected by an electoral college made up largely of local elected officials.

Nine RN senators were elected, joining the party’s three existing senators, while three senators from Éric Ciotti’s UDR are expected to join them to create a 15-member group. At least 10 senators are required to form a political group in the upper chamber.

The result marks a significant change for the RN, which had only three senators before Sunday’s vote and lacked the numbers needed to establish its own group.

Forming a group gives the party additional parliamentary resources and influence, including more speaking time, parliamentary staff and greater representation within the Senate’s committees.

RN leader Marine Le Pen welcomed the result, saying it had “exceeded our expectations.”

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She also described the result as a major victory and said the party’s newly elected senators would play an important role in its presidential campaign.

Traditional right retains control

Despite the RN’s gains, the broader balance of power in the Senate remains largely unchanged, with the traditional right and centre retaining control of the chamber.

Les Républicains remain the largest political force, with 123 senators, while their centrist allies hold about 72 seats. The two blocs are expected to maintain their majority.

The election also delivered La France Insoumise (LFI) its first senator, with Gabriel Amard winning a seat in the Rhône department.

Focus turns to 2027 presidential race

Sunday’s Senate election was France’s final nationwide electoral test before the 2027 presidential election and comes as parties begin positioning themselves for the race to succeed President Emmanuel Macron.

Le Pen confirmed in July that she would run for president after the Paris Court of Appeal shortened a ban on standing for office, leaving her eligible for the 2027 election. She has appealed her conviction to the Court of Cassation, France’s highest court for criminal and civil cases.

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Former Socialist President François Hollande has also raised the possibility of entering the race.

Hollande, 72, said on Monday that he would consider standing only in exceptional circumstances and if he believed he had a realistic chance of reaching the second round and ultimately winning.

Hollande, who served as president from 2012 to 2017, said France was facing a more dangerous international environment and that Europe was confronting what he described as an “existential crisis.”

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