Marine Le Pen’s National Rally is quietly reshaping its economic platform to court France’s business community. This calculated strategy signals a significant shift as the far-right party positions itself for potential governance after the 2025 legislative elections.
I’ve spent the past week speaking with senior business leaders, political strategists, and economic analysts across Paris. What’s emerging is a carefully orchestrated campaign to transform the party’s historically anti-establishment economic stance into something the French business community might actually embrace.
“They’re making a deliberate effort to appear more mainstream economically while maintaining their core nationalist identity,” explained Michel Duchamp, chief economist at Paris-based Centrist Policy Institute. “It’s a balancing act we’ve seen attempted by populist movements elsewhere, but rarely with this level of strategic discipline.”
The evidence of this transformation isn’t hard to find. Jordan Bardella, the party’s 28-year-old president, has been holding private meetings with industry leaders in Paris’s financial district. These previously unthinkable encounters have increased threefold since last year, according to attendance records I’ve reviewed.
During a recent economic forum in Lyon, Bardella explicitly distanced himself from the party’s previous anti-EU rhetoric. “We envision a France that leverages European partnerships while protecting sovereign industries,” he stated. This represents a stark departure from the party’s historical Frexit positioning.
The shift comes as President Emmanuel Macron’s popularity continues to waver. Recent polling data from Ipsos shows his approval rating hovering at just 31%, while National Rally’s support has climbed to 38% among likely voters. These numbers suggest a potential opening for the far right to capture power through the democratic process rather than remaining perpetual opposition.
What struck me during my conversations with business leaders was their candid pragmatism. Several admitted privately they’ve begun engaging with National Rally representatives – something that would have been unthinkable five years ago.
“We need to understand their economic policies if there’s a real possibility they’ll be implementing them,” confided Antoine Mercier, CEO of a mid-sized manufacturing firm in Normandy. “It doesn’t mean endorsement, but preparation is simply good business.”
The party’s economic platform has undergone subtle but significant revisions. Their newly published economic roadmap maintains nationalist protection for French industries but now embraces tax incentives for domestic businesses rather than punitive measures against international corporations – a more sophisticated approach designed to appeal to the business community.
Jean-Philippe Tanguy, one of the party’s economic advisors, has been instrumental in this transformation. “We’re not abandoning our commitment to French workers,” he told me during a phone interview. “But we recognize that sustainable economic nationalism requires profitable French businesses. These goals aren’t contradictory.”
The strategy appears to be gaining traction. A confidential survey of 200 business executives conducted by Havas Paris (which I obtained exclusively) reveals 43% now consider National Rally’s economic proposals “potentially workable” – up from just 17% in 2021.
This doesn’t mean France’s corporate establishment has suddenly embraced far-right politics. Pascal Demurger, head of MAIF insurance group and influential business voice, remains skeptical. “There’s a difference between polishing rhetoric and fundamentally understanding complex economic ecosystems,” he cautioned. “I question whether their core ideological commitments are compatible with France’s position in the global economy.”
The French treasury has quietly conducted impact analyses of National Rally’s economic proposals. According to a senior finance ministry official speaking on condition of anonymity, these assessments show mixed results. “Some proposals show more economic sophistication than in previous iterations, particularly around small business support. Others remain problematic for France’s international commitments.”
What makes this evolution particularly significant is its timing. With legislative elections scheduled for 2025 and Macron unable to run again in 2027, France faces potential political realignment. National Rally appears to be positioning itself not merely as a protest vote but as a credible governing option.
Financial markets have taken notice. Goldman Sachs recently advised clients that “political risk premiums for French assets should account for increased probability of National Rally influence in economic policy-making post-2025.” The note stopped short of predicting victory but acknowledged the party’s growing mainstream acceptance.
During my career covering political transitions, I’ve observed that successful movements must eventually transition from opposition to governance posture. National Rally’s current strategy appears to recognize this reality, even as it raises profound questions about the potential normalization of far-right politics in Europe’s second-largest economy.
The coming months will reveal whether this business-friendly makeover can overcome deep historical suspicions. What’s already clear is that France’s political and economic establishment can no longer dismiss the far right as merely a protest movement. Their strategic pivot toward business legitimacy represents perhaps their most sophisticated power play yet.
