A certain idea of France’s past: Marine Le Pen’s history wars

ABSTRACT Contrary to what common sense suggests, the meaning of historical figures and events is not fixed once and for ever. Instead, the battle over history plays an important role at an identity-building and political competition level, thus becoming what post-structuralist literature refers to as ‘a site of struggle’. This article intends to study such aspects of history through the analysis of Rassemblement National and its leader, Marine Le Pen. It shows how French history is not only of interest to historians and educated citizens but also of political parties. Moreover, the article aims to be a study of the relationship between the contemporary far-right and the past.