The rise of the Front National is pushing France toward a genuine three-party system

Nicolas Sarkozy’s UMP received the largest share of support in the French departmental elections on 22 and 29 March 2015. However the success of Marine Le Pen’s Front National, which polled over 20% in both rounds of voting, was once again one of the key stories to emerge from the vote. Helen Drake writes on the lessons to be learned for France’s political system ahead of regional elections in December and the next presidential election in 2017. She notes that an emerging tripartite party system is now appearing in France, where the Front National more or less equals the power of the traditionally dominant mainstream centre-left and centre-right parties.

• Primary Source

ESO: Background information: Sarkozy’s conservative UMP edges out far right in French local elections http://www.europeansources.info/record/sarkozys-conservative-ump-edges-out-far-right-in-french-local-elections/

Politico, 27.09.16: Marine Le Pen’s cash-flow crisis http://www.politico.eu/article/marine-le-pens-cash-flow-crisis-french-presidential-elections-2017/

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