So close, yet so far

Abstract

Based on the study of the political, economic and cultural attitudes of the sympathizers and voters of the French Front National on the far right and its centre right counterpart Les Republicains, this chapter argues that there are ideological proximities between the two parties, but no ‘convergence’. If the co-optation line followed by Nicolas Sarkozy since 2007 echoes with the ‘de-demonization’ attempts of Marine Le Pen since 2011, if the two parties have drawn closer on issues like immigration and law and order, they stand increasingly apart on economic and European issues and deeply divided about the strategy to adopt towards each other.