Commentary: From a Bulwark Against the Right to a Competition for the Toughest Slogans

Just two years ago, the message was clear: France had to be protected at all costs from the rise of the far right. Millions of voters were mobilized to prevent the Rassemblement National. It was about democracy, republican values and the famous firewall. The message was that anyone voting for the right was gambling with the future of the Republic. And today? Suddenly, much of it sounds remarkably familiar. Caps on migration. Tougher criminal law. Authority. Security. National identity. Terms that were yesterday still regarded as trademarks of the conservative ...