The Illusion of Power: How Media, Politics, and Strategy Sustain the National Rally’s Smoke and Mirrors

7 min readDec 1, 2024

Let’s cut the crap and talk about the National Rally (Rassemblement National, RN). You’ve seen them: they strut around French politics like they own the joint, Marine Le Pen flipping the establishment the bird while basking in the spotlight. They’ve got the headlines, the controversies, and the voters in certain corners of France all worked up. But here’s the kicker: their so-called “dominance” is mostly hot air. Beneath the posturing and press coverage, the RN is more like a paper tiger — loud as hell but stuck in a cage of its own making. So, let’s dive into how media hype, electoral mechanics, and their own dysfunctions keep the RN spinning its wheels.

Media Amplification: The Megaphone That Keeps On Giving

Ah, the media. If you thought they were supposed to be neutral, objective, or even remotely insightful, think again. When it comes to the RN, they’ve been complicit in creating one hell of an echo chamber.

The RN’s All-You-Can-Eat Buffet of Controversy

Here’s how it works: controversy and conflict sell. And guess who’s got controversy in spades? The RN. On issues like immigration and national security, the media turns every debate into a cage match: the RN versus the government. No middle ground, no nuance — just a screaming match where Marine Le Pen gets the prime cuts of attention. The Greens or leftists might have some decent, workable ideas, but they don’t scream or scare people enough to make the cut. Boring policy solutions don’t sell ads, after all.

Legitimizing the Circus

Every time the media runs with the RN’s latest anti-immigration tirade, they’re essentially saying, “Hey, maybe these guys are onto something.” No fact-checking, no reality checks — just uncritical amplification of fearmongering. It’s like giving a bullhorn to the guy yelling “fire” in a crowded theater, even when the smoke is just his vape pen.

Marine Le Pen’s PR Kung Fu

And let’s not forget how good Marine Le Pen is at playing the media. She’s not just the loudest kid in the class; she’s also the one crying “teacher’s unfair!” every time she gets called out. Criticize her policies? “Elitist conspiracy.” Investigate her for fraud? “Political witch hunt.” She’s got the victim card laminated, and the press eats it up every time.

Electoral Success: The Mirage of Power

Sure, the RN made waves in the 2022 legislative elections, grabbing 89 seats. But don’t confuse that with actual power. The French political system isn’t exactly set up for populist outsiders to run the show.

Proportional Representation vs. Reality

In proportional systems like the European Parliament, the RN does great. Why? Because all they need is a decent chunk of angry voters, and boom — they’ve got seats. But in France’s two-round legislative elections, it’s a whole different ballgame. The second round is where coalitions gang up to keep the RN out. It’s like a political version of dodgeball, and the RN keeps getting tagged out.

Legislative Isolation: A Party in the Corner

Even when they break through, like in 2022, the RN is still treated like the awkward cousin nobody wants to sit next to at dinner. No coalitions, no partnerships, no chairing of important committees — just a lot of shouting from the sidelines. They’re like that kid who keeps yelling “I’m the team captain!” while everyone else is busy actually playing the game.

Geographic Strongholds, Weak Appeal

The RN has its voter base in economically struggling regions — places hit hard by unemployment and globalization. But outside those areas? Urban voters, younger demographics, and multicultural communities aren’t buying what they’re selling. It’s hard to build a nationwide movement when half the country thinks you’re a punchline.

Institutional and Strategic Weaknesses: The Party That Can’t Govern

Even if the RN somehow stumbled into power tomorrow, it’d be a mess. Why? Because they’re built for opposition, not governance.

Big Talk, Little Action

The RN is great at whipping up emotions but terrible at turning that into real-world policy. Their anti-immigration platform sounds great to their base, but it’s a legal and logistical nightmare. International treaties, EU obligations, constitutional constraints — it’s like they’ve never read the fine print.

A Leadership Void

Most of the RN’s 2022 candidates were amateurs — people who probably Googled “how to write a bill” the night before their first day in Parliament. And the party itself? Still a one-woman show centered on Marine Le Pen. There’s no bench, no depth, no Plan B if she ever decides to pack it in.

Unicorn Policies

Then there are the pie-in-the-sky proposals, like reducing France’s reliance on the EU while still enjoying its economic benefits. It’s like quitting your job but expecting to keep the paycheck. The math doesn’t add up, and even some of their voters know it.

Media Normalization: The Trojan Horse of Legitimacy

Marine Le Pen’s big win over the years has been “dédiabolisation” — the fancy French word for rebranding. The media has helped turn the RN from Jean-Marie Le Pen’s racist sideshow into Marine’s “respectable” far-right machine.

The Optics Game

Every time Le Pen shows up at a mainstream event, like an anti-antisemitism march, the press plays it up as proof that the RN has changed. Never mind the lingering xenophobia in their platform — what matters is the photo op.

The Risk of Normalizing Nonsense

By treating the RN like just another political party, the media risks letting dangerous ideas creep into the mainstream. Policies that should be laughed out of the room are instead debated like serious proposals. It’s like arguing whether the Earth might actually be flat because someone shouted it loud enough.

The RN’s Paradox: All Talk, No Walk

Here’s the RN’s big problem: they’re stuck in a loop of their own making. They’re too controversial to build coalitions, too underprepared to govern, and too dependent on media hype to change their playbook. They’re like a band that can sell out a stadium but doesn’t know how to play their instruments.

For the RN to actually wield power, they’d need to do a full makeover: hire policy experts, build a deeper leadership bench, and come up with plans that don’t sound like they were scribbled on a napkin. But doing that risks alienating their base — the people who love them for being loud, angry, and anti-everything.

Final Thoughts: Populist Theater

The RN’s rise is a cautionary tale about the power of perception in politics. They’re loud, visible, and good at playing the media, but their actual influence is like a Hollywood set — impressive from the front, hollow from behind. As long as the media keeps amplifying their message without holding them accountable, and as long as France’s systemic frustrations go unaddressed, the RN will keep the illusion alive.

But here’s the truth: a party that thrives on outrage and division can only go so far. At some point, you need more than soundbites and scapegoats. You need substance. Until then, the RN will remain what it has always been — a loud voice in the corner, shouting at a system it’s not prepared to run.

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