Who are the Voters of the National Rally in the European Elections?
The National Rally’s popularity continues to grow as they emerged victorious in the European elections with 31.5% of the votes. Led by Jordan Bardella, their list won the majority of votes in 93% of French communes. The support for the far-right party is no longer limited to a specific demographic, but has expanded to reach a wider range of the population.
But who exactly are these voters? What is their age? What professions do they have? A sociological study conducted by Ipsos provides some insights. The survey, conducted between June 6 and 7, included 8,923 individuals registered on the electoral lists to ensure a representative sample of the French population aged 18 and above.
Increasing support among the youth
With a lead candidate popular among the younger generations, especially on social media, the National Rally attracted 26% of 18 to 24-year-olds surveyed. This marks a significant increase from the previous European elections where they only received 15% of the youth vote. The support among 25-34 year-olds has also risen from 20% in 2019 to 30% in 2024.
The 50-59 age group remains the most represented with 39% voting for the National Rally (compared to 30% in 2019), followed by the 34-49 and 60-69 age groups at 34%. Those over 70 years old voted at 25% for the party.
In terms of gender distribution, the National Rally’s support is nearly equal with 30% of women and 32% of men voting for Jordan Bardella.
Less educated electorate
Among voters with a diploma below the baccalaureate level, 46% voted for the National Rally, while 38% of those with a high school diploma and 29% of those with two years of higher education supported the party. The support among voters with a bachelor’s degree or higher is lower but has increased by 5 points from 2019 to 2024, rising from 12% to 17%.
Strong support among workers, increasing among executives
Similar to the 2019 European elections, workers are the most represented socio-professional category among National Rally voters, comprising 54% of those surveyed. Following closely are employees and retirees from lower socio-professional categories, with 40% and 36% respectively.
There has been a noticeable increase in National Rally support among executives. While in 2019, 13% of executives voted for the party, this number rose to 20% in 2024. This growth is also seen among intermediate professions, where support increased from 19% to 29%.
Regarding income, 35% of individuals earning between 1,250 euros and 2,000 euros chose the far-right party. Among those who consider themselves disadvantaged, 51% voted for the National Rally. This trend is also observed with 38% of individuals from lower social classes supporting the party.
Additionally, 30% of those with a monthly income equal to or exceeding 3,000 euros voted for the National Rally. This was also the case for 19% of respondents from affluent or privileged backgrounds.
Existing National Rally supporters
According to the Ipsos study, 88% of voters who supported Marine Le Pen in the 2022 presidential election voted for the National Rally again in the 2024 European elections.
Only a small fraction (4%) of Marine Le Pen’s voters turned to the Reconquest list led by Marion Maréchal for the June 9 European elections. Similarly, 84% of National Rally voters from the 2019 European elections reaffirmed their support for the party in 2024.