France’s right retained its majority in the Senate in a partial election, while Marine Le Pen’s National Rally (RN) made a substantial advance. RN and its ally, the Union of the Right for the Republic (UDR), won a combined 15 seats. RN had three senators before the vote and gained nine more; the UDR secured another three.
Voters renewed 178 Senate seats on Sunday, more than half of the chamber’s 348 members. Senators serve six-year terms and are elected indirectly by an electoral college made up of about 162,000 local representatives. The result therefore reflects local-government representation rather than a direct nationwide ballot.
RN leader Jordan Bardella said on X that, for the first time, the party and its allies would form an independent group in the Senate. A group needs ten senators. Such status provides additional speaking time and resources, giving the gains particular importance for Le Pen ahead of the presidential campaign.
Le Pen called the result a historic victory and a significant step in accelerating the party’s presence across France. RN had already become the largest party in the National Assembly by seat count after the 2024 legislative election, with 119 deputies.
Despite the far right’s gains, the Republicans and their centrist allies kept their Senate majority. Their numbers fell from 231 to 224, but they remained the dominant force. Bruno Retailleau, a former interior minister and the right’s presidential candidate, retained his Senate seat. Left-wing parties remained the second-largest group, while the radical left won only one seat. The partial election was the last major test before the presidential contest, in which Le Pen is described as one of the leading contenders in polls cited by the report.