France’s far-right National Rally gains ground in Senate vote

France’s far-right National Rally (RN) and its allies secured a record 14 seats in the Senate, quadrupling their number in the chamber ahead of the 2027 presidential election. Marine Le Pen, the party leader, called the results a historic victory and a milestone with the formation of its first Senate group. The RN, formerly the National Front, had two seats in 2014 and three in 2023. RN president Jordan Bardella announced that the senators would form an alliance with the Union of the Right for the Republic (UDR).