A brief profile of the far-right Front National (FN), led by Marine Le Pen, which obtained 24.9% of the vote in France in the recent European elections. This result was described as a “political earthquake.”
France's Front National (FN) (434 KB , PDF)
In the European Parliament (EP) elections of 22-25 May 2014, Front National (FN) obtained 24.9% of the vote in France, and thus became the largest French party in the EP with 24 seats. This result was described as a “political earthquake.” FN’s success has been attributed to a variety of factors, including the weaknesses of the two main parties and the attempts by FN’s leader, Marine Le Pen, to modernise the party.
FN’s recent success is not an isolated phenomenon: it has enjoyed a number of electoral successes in recent years. In the 2002 Presidential election, for example, its candidate Jean-Marie Le Pen (Marine Le Pen’s father) shocked the political establishment by coming second, defeating the Socialist candidate and advancing to the second round run-off.
This Standard Note provides a brief history of the FN, before looking in more detail at its performance in the recent EP elections.
France's Front National (FN) (434 KB , PDF)
This briefing looks at the hundreds of thousands of Afghans who have been expelled in the last several months from Pakistan and Iran, returning to Afghanistan which is experiencing a severe humanitarian crisis. It explores the situation in Pakistan and Iran, the reasons behind the move, and the UK Government response.
The Safety of Rwanda Bill was introduced in the Commons on 7 December 2023. Second reading is on 12 December. The bill seeks to enable the removal of asylum seekers to Rwanda.
Commons and Lords Library papers, Committee reports, parliamentary material and Government press releases on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and related issues from 2020.
