European far-right leaders are converging in rural France as the National Rally marks the anniversary its 2024 EU election victory with a display of unity and ambition.
Marine Le Pen and Jordan Bardella welcome a host of Europe’s far-right leaders to the French countryside today, as the National Rally (RN) marks the one-year anniversary of its historic win in the 2024 European elections.
The gathering, taking place near Mormant-sur-Vernisson in the Loiret region, south of Paris, is both a celebration and a strategic show of strength – designed to spotlight the party’s growing international alliances and domestic ambitions.
The event draws key figures from across the European far-right, including Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, Italian Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini, Spain's Vox leader Santiago Abascal, and senior figures from Poland, Greece, Belgium, Estonia and the Czech Republic.
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Together, they represent the “Patriots for Europe” group in the European Parliament, which now holds 85 of 720 seats and positions itself as a rising force against Brussels bureaucracy and mainstream politics.
Bardella posted on X that the event is being held "for a Europe of nations, peoples, freedoms, protections, identities, production and innovation, farmers and entrepreneurs!"
'Summit-style' atmosphere
For Le Pen and Bardella, it’s an opportunity to underline their influence beyond France’s borders, to present a united front with their ideological allies, and to shift the spotlight firmly onto their leadership ahead of the 2027 presidential race.
With the RN having topped the polls with over 31 percent in last year’s European elections – the best first-round result in its history – they are determined to show it wasn’t a one-off.
Set against a rural backdrop of food trucks, flags and festive supporters, the event is dubbed “Victory Day”– a nod to 9 June 2024.
But it’s also a calculated moment of political theatre.
Orban, never one to mince words, has already set the tone with a social media post accusing “Brussels bureaucrats” of promoting “submission and decline” through migration, debt-sharing and war funding.
He pointed to civil unrest in the nearby town of Montargis – following the death of a 17-year-old, killed at a police checkpoint in a Paris suburb in 2023 – as evidence of what happens when "patriots lose control”.
Just ten kilometres away from today's event, Montargis will see a counter-demonstration led by left-wing MPs and trade union leaders, highlighting the political polarisation the gathering has drawn.
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Message of unity
Back in Mormant-sur-Vernisson, however, the far-right message is unified, at least on the surface.
Previous attempts at such international summits, like a meeting in January in Madrid, revealed cracks – especially around Donald Trump-style politics and social conservatism – but today’s event appears tightly stage-managed.
Le Pen and Bardella even held a closed-door meeting on Sunday in Fontainebleau to iron out any potential hiccups.
At home, the RN is still navigating a complicated political landscape. While its European success was striking, the momentum didn’t fully carry over to the 2024 legislative elections, where chaotic candidate selection and a reinvigorated Republican front left the party with only 120 MPs – well short of the 289 needed to propel Bardella to the role of Prime Minister.
Still, Bardella's star continues to rise. His popularity rivals Le Pen’s, his book sales are moving off the shelves, and many now see him as a viable presidential contender – especially with Le Pen’s future clouded by a possible court ruling on her eligibility in 2027.
For now, the two are presenting united front, with today’s gathering designed to reinforce far-right unity.
(with newswires)
