Gilles Pennelle, the party’s general director, has resigned from his post after the far-right National Rally (RN) party finished third in the early general elections in France.
The First Crack in the Far Right
The first news of resignation came from the far-right after the alliance led by the far-right RN, which was shown as the favorite by the polls in the early general elections, which were held upon the decision of President Emmanuel Macron, and the second round, which was held on July 7, came in third place behind the left-wing alliance and Macron’s wing, contrary to expectations.
According to reports in the French press, RN Director General Gilles Pennelle has resigned from his position in the party. Pennelle was known as one of the key architects of the strategy for determining the RN’s new parliamentary candidates. Anti-Semitic and racist statements by many RN candidates were notable during the election process. Pennelle will continue his position as a Member of the European Parliament (MEP), which he was elected on June 9.
France Heads for Early Elections
RN, which has continued to increase its votes in the last three elections in France, received 31.4 percent of the votes in the European Parliament (EP) elections on June 9, more than doubling its rival, President Macron’s party Rönesans.
Following the far-right’s victory in the EP elections, Macron decided to dissolve the Parliament on the night of June 9 and call early elections, the first and second rounds of which will be held on June 30 and July 7.
Leftist parties, who were unable to form an alliance in the last general elections in the country, quickly came together under the “New People’s Front” against the far-right and announced that they would nominate a single candidate.
While RN formed an alliance with Eric Ciotti, leader of the center-right Republicans (LR) Party, and some LR members, the ruling party Rönesans and its partners MoDem and Horizons Party formed the “Together for the Republican Alliance”.
According to official figures, the New People’s Front won 178 seats in the early general elections, while Macron’s alliance won 163 seats and the far-right RN alliance won 143 seats.
