France will hold elections across 13 regions on Sunday and the outlook in the south offers fresh cause for concern for the country's political mainstream. In Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, the far-right National Rally's candidate, Thierry Mariani is poised to claim victory in an otherwise fragmented political field. Although the role of regional leaders is largely administrative, it would be the first time that the party led by Marine Le Pen (pictured, on right, with Mariani) has taken a regional seat and follows major inroads it made in local elections across the south last year. "The symbolism is huge," says Marseille-based political consultant Mary Fitzgerald. Could it be a harbinger of success for Le Pen in the 2022 presidential elections? Not necessarily. "We've seen that while the National Rally can appear to be polling well on the national stage, at the last minute there is often an alliance to keep them out," says Fitzgerald. Still, the party's growing grassroots support increasingly makes it a force to be reckoned with.
For more from Fitzgerald and other experts on the French regional elections, listen to today's edition of 'The Globalist' on Monocle 24.
