Right-Wing and Far-Right Figures Maintain Strong Popularity in France in 2025

In 2025, France's political and cultural landscape reflects a notable blend of challenge and enduring public interest in right-wing and far-right figures, particularly Jordan Bardella and Marine Le Pen of the Rassemblement National (RN). According to the latest Ifop barometer published by LCI-TF1, only two politicians made it into the top 50 preferred personalities: Bardella ranked 12th, slightly down from 10th in 2024, and Le Pen placed 23rd, down from 11th the previous year. Despite facing considerable political and legal hurdles — including Le Pen's five-year ineligibility sentence linked to issues with European parliamentary assistants — public favor for these figures remains robust. Bardella, who leads polls for the 2027 presidential election, and Le Pen continue to hold significant cultural sway alongside figures such as Jean-Jacques Goldman and Kylian Mbappé.

The RN's difficulties in 2025, such as failing to secure major victories, internal party tensions, and struggles during the National Assembly's budget discussions, have not substantially diminished their public profiles. Furthermore, this political prominence extends beyond polls into the literary market, where books by right and far-right politicians are dominating sales. Jordan Bardella's latest book *Ce que je cherche* has sold over 230,000 copies, while former President Nicolas Sarkozy's *Journal d'un prisonnier* has exceeded 92,000 copies sold shortly after release. This surge in book sales indicates a strong public interest in right-wing political perspectives, contrasting with less successful sales of left-wing political publications, suggesting a potential ideological shift within France. Media campaigns, public appearances, and online engagement have significantly boosted these sales figures.

While experts warn that high book sales may not directly translate into electoral support, they underscore an appetite for right-wing narratives in the current French political discourse. The RN's strategy, despite recent setbacks, continues to resonate with a segment of the French public, reflecting the complexity and evolving nature of political popularity ahead of the 2027 presidential election.