The Rise of the Front National (National Front) and the Role of Marine Le Pen

75 pagesThe trend of rising far right-wing movements has been a trend globally and has been a particularly relevant and ongoing story in France. This thesis examines the role of Marine Le Pen as the leader of the French political party, Front national (FN) and seeks to explain and understand the depth of escalating support for the far-right political party, the FN. The research presented seeks to answer who supported the FN under Jean-Marie Le Pen and explain why these voters’ views have changed under the leadership of Marine Le Pen. In short, this essay both asks and answers the following question: to what extent has the far-right changed under the leadership of Marine Le Pen? This thesis will examine both the surface-level and underlying ways in which she has changed the party, and it will also present research on the FN’s support and how it has changed under Marine Le Pen. In evaluating these components of French revolution and political outcomes, this thesis takes the stance that while Marine Le Pen has certainly transformed some parts of the party and voter support has increased under her leadership, the party fundamentally remains the same. This argument will be systematically explored with reference to the relevant body of existing literature.2023-07-2