French Far Right Wins 14 Senate Seats, Forms Caucus

France’s far-right National Rally and its ally, Eric Ciotti’s Union of the Right for the Republic, won enough seats in Sunday’s indirect Senate election to form a caucus for the first time. Together, they secured 14 seats, including nine newly elected RN senators; the RN had previously held three seats. The result marks a significant gain for Marine Le Pen’s party ahead of the 2027 presidential election, though the Senate remains dominated by the right-wing Republicans. Local and regional elected officials chose 178 of the chamber’s 348 members in the vote.