French far-right RN seeks business input on regulatory barriers for 2027 election

Leaders of the French far-right National Rally (RN) party sent a letter on Monday to business leaders as part of preparations for the 2027 presidential election, seeking input on removing regulatory barriers affecting economic activity in France. "We wish to associate you with our reflection aimed at identifying and removing regulatory barriers that hinder France's economic development," the party's parliamentary leader Marine Le Pen and president Jordan Bardella said in the letter.

Regulatory constraints

The letter also stressed that the aim is to identify legal and administrative constraints that affect business operations, competitiveness and investment capacity, including rules stemming from EU law transposition and national regulations. It added that these rules, often accumulated without evaluation of their impact, represent a significant cost for economic actors, weigh on local authorities, and affect purchasing power.

Task force

The RN said it had tasked MP Alexandre Loubet, adviser Francois Durvye, and Marine Le Pen's chief of staff Ambroise de Rancourt with meeting business federations and economic organizations. The objective is to prepare a simplification ordinance to be introduced at the start of a future mandate, aimed at reducing regulatory constraints and supporting economic activity.

Previous failures

The party said previous simplification efforts had failed due to insufficient consultation with intermediary bodies. The letter comes as Jordan Bardella is due to meet with the executive committee of business lobby group MEDEF on Monday.

Political context

The outreach to business leaders signals the RN's continued efforts to broaden its appeal beyond its traditional base ahead of the 2027 presidential election. Marine Le Pen has run for president three times, reaching the runoff in 2017 and 2022.