https://www.scmp.com/rss/523446/feed The latest news and top stories on the National Rally party. A prominent French based far-right political party, National Rally is dedicated to protecting French identity and national sovereignty. Headquartered in Paris, its main areas of focus include strict immigration control, economic protectionism and maintaining law and order. The party, led by Jordan Bardella, has become the single largest parliamentary opposition in the National Assembly since 2022 and achieved significant electoral... en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday called on Giorgia Meloni to stop “commenting on what is happening in other people’s countries”, after the Italian prime minister expressed shock at the fatal beating of a far-right activist in France. Quentin Deranque, 23, died from head injuries after being attacked by at least six people last week on the sidelines of a far-right protest at a university in the city of Lyon. Most of the 11 suspects detained are from far-left movements, according to a... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3344040/macron-tells-meloni-stay-lane-over-remarks-far-right-activists-death-france?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3344040/macron-tells-meloni-stay-lane-over-remarks-far-right-activists-death-france?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 19 Feb 2026 14:07:37 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse France’s three-time presidential candidate, Marine Le Pen, is to attend the funeral next week of 1950s and 1960s film star Brigitte Bardot, a member of her team said on Tuesday. President Emmanuel Macron – who on Sunday hailed Bardot as a “legend” – would however not attend her funeral, a source in his office said. Bardot, who died aged 91 on Sunday, drew criticism in her later years for her anti-immigration views and for supporting the far-right. She was several times convicted in court for... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3338214/french-far-right-leader-le-pen-attend-brigitte-bardots-funeral-macron-will-not?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3338214/french-far-right-leader-le-pen-attend-brigitte-bardots-funeral-macron-will-not?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 30 Dec 2025 20:12:44 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu weathered two confidence motions on Thursday, just days after appointing his new government and making a key political concession to stay in power. The votes followed Lecornu’s decision on Tuesday to back suspending a divisive 2023 pension reform, in a bid to keep his cabinet afloat long enough to pass a much-needed austerity budget by year’s end. The leftist Socialist Party (PS) had threatened to vote to oust the premier if he didn’t move to freeze the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3329263/french-pm-lecornu-survives-2-confidence-votes-days-after-reappointment?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3329263/french-pm-lecornu-survives-2-confidence-votes-days-after-reappointment?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 Oct 2025 10:49:30 +0000 Reuters Reuters French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu promised on Tuesday to suspend a landmark pension reform until after the 2027 election, sacrificing one of President Emmanuel Macron’s legacy achievements to ensure the government’s survival. By bowing to pressure from leftist lawmakers who reviled the 2023 reform, Lecornu has managed to stave off a stark escalation in France’s months-long political crisis. The Socialists welcomed his concession, saying they would not vote to topple him in no confidence... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3329022/france-macrons-pm-suspend-pension-reform-until-2027-avoid-government-collapse?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3329022/france-macrons-pm-suspend-pension-reform-until-2027-avoid-government-collapse?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Oct 2025 14:34:07 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse France’s President Emmanuel Macron unveiled a new government on Sunday, after marathon talks to cobble together a cabinet and prevent the country from slipping deeper into a political crisis. The line-up, a mix of old and new faces, is Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu’s second attempt at bringing together a team to overcome months of deadlock and pass a much-needed austerity budget through a deeply divided parliament. “A mission-driven government has been appointed to provide France with a... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3328749/crisis-hit-france-gets-another-new-government-amid-political-turmoil?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3328749/crisis-hit-france-gets-another-new-government-amid-political-turmoil?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 13 Oct 2025 03:29:00 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse President Emmanuel Macron has come under pressure to find a rapid solution to France’s political deadlock, after his first prime minister and one-time ally urged him to resign for the sake of the country. Macron, president since 2017, has been battling the worst domestic political crisis of his presidency after the shock resignation on Monday of his seventh prime minister, Sebastien Lecornu. Macron gave Lecornu until Wednesday evening to thrash out a compromise for a sustainable coalition... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3328171/macron-urged-quit-end-frances-political-crisis?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3328171/macron-urged-quit-end-frances-political-crisis?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 07 Oct 2025 23:43:28 +0000 Reuters Reuters Sebastien Lecornu, the loyalist picked by President Emmanuel Macron to be France’s fifth prime minister in two years, took office on a day of sprawling anti-government protests that underlined the depth of the country’s political crisis. Lecornu, a conservative Macron protégé who most recently served as his defence minister, arrived at midday on Wednesday at the prime minister’s residence, where he met former prime minister Francois Bayrou, who was ousted by parliament on Monday over plans to... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3325068/new-french-prime-minister-forced-fight-fires-first-day-work?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3325068/new-french-prime-minister-forced-fight-fires-first-day-work?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 10 Sep 2025 10:57:55 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse France’s Prime Minister Francois Bayrou said on Tuesday he wanted to reduce the number of public holidays in France as part of a bid to tackle what he called the “curse” of his country’s debt. Presenting 2026 budget proposals, Bayrou said two out of France’s 11 national holidays could go, suggesting Easter Monday and May 8, a day that commemorates the end of World War II in Europe. Such a measure would bring France into line with Germany’s nine national – although federal states can add their... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3318375/france-considers-cutting-national-holidays-ease-debt-burden?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3318375/france-considers-cutting-national-holidays-ease-debt-burden?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 16 Jul 2025 03:57:45 +0000