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French far-right Rassemblement National forms first Senate group, expanding to 15 seats
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On September 27, 2026, the French far-right Rassemblement National (RN) achieved a historic milestone by forming its first parliamentary group in the Senate, adding nine new senators to its three existing seats. With the addition of three senators from Eric Ciotti's UDR party, the group will total 15 members, surpassing the ecologist and radical left groups. The RN remains a minority force in the upper house but will gain material and political resources, including offices, staff, speaking time, and a parliamentary niche day. Le Monde reports that the party's success in rural areas, particularly among non-partisan mayors, demonstrates its growing appeal. Party leader Jordan Bardella used the occasion to call on right-wing elected officials to join the RN. The article attributes to Le Monde the view that this advance allows the RN to sustain its narrative of an inevitable march toward power and maintain momentum for Marine Le Pen's presidential campaign.
Source report
Jordan Bardella at the electoral evening for the senatorial elections in La Seyne-sur-Mer (Var), September 27, 2026. THIBAUD MORITZ/AFP
The National Rally (RN) — which already holds the largest French delegation in the European Parliament and the largest group in the National Assembly — had until now remained a minor force in the Senate, relegated to the non-inscribed members in the attics of the Luxembourg Palace. That anomaly was corrected on September 27: with the election of nine new senators, adding to the three elected in 2023, the far-right party has comfortably achieved its goal of forming a Senate group.
This result falls within the upper range of the party's expectations and demonstrates the RN's ability to appeal to unaffiliated rural mayors.
Read more: LIVE, 2026 senatorial elections: Far right secures a group, LFI enters the Senate, Macronist decline confirmed... Key takeaways from the vote
An additional satisfaction for the RN: it will not depend on the UDR (Union of the Right for the Republic), the party of Éric Ciotti, which is expected to add three elected members to the group, bringing it to 15 members — more than the Ecologist and Radical Left groups, barring any reshuffling before the start of the Senate session on October 5.
The RN will remain a subordinate force in the Senate, but it will now have the capacity to influence debates and will gain additional resources — both material (offices and staff) and political (speaking time, a parliamentary niche). Above all, this advance helps sustain the narrative of an inevitable march toward power and maintains the momentum of Marine Le Pen's presidential campaign.
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Source
Politique : Toute l’actualité sur Le Monde.fr.Western
Part of this Story
Far-right RN forms first-ever Senate group in historic French election breakthrough