For Samy Benzina, professor of public law at the University of Poitiers, the institutions of the Fifth Republic are "efficient and relatively stable." But they were "first and foremost designed for moderate political forces," he pointed out.
France would undoubtedly be entering a period of unprecedented institutional uncertainty. The RN, as a far-right party, is historically and structurally anti-liberal, and does not adhere to certain constitutional principles that are at the heart of the French Republic, notably the principle of equality or the principle of national solidarity in favor of the disadvantaged.
A far-right party has never come out on top in a French general election. The consequences of such a victory are not entirely predictable, as they also depend on the strategies of other political players.
In countries where the far right has come to power in Europe (Hungary, Poland, Turkey, Italy, for example), the new majority is rapidly undermining the foundations of the rule of law, undermining the independence of the judiciary, minority rights and press freedom. The RN, for its part, has already announced plans to privatize the public broadcasting service, in a context where large fortunes are buying up media outlets to turn them into opinion platforms, sacrificing their independence.
As for France's highest administrative court, the Conseil Constitutionnel, it is regularly attacked by the far right, who see it as a major obstacle to their most radical proposals. However, this jurisdiction is not threatened in the short term, even if it will be confronted in an unprecedented way by a government pursuing policies that are wholly or partly unconstitutional.
In February 2025, the president will appoint Laurent Fabius' successor as president of the Conseil Constitutionnel for a nine-year term. The president of the Assemblée Nationale and the president of the Sénat will each appoint a new member to the Council, also for a nine-year term. For the RN to have its say, it would have to win the presidency of the Assemblée Nationale, since the president of the Sénat, Gérard Larcher, and the president of the Republic, Emmanuel Macron, should still be in office.
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