The Invisible Union: How French Policy Fuels Rising Euroscepticism

Authors

Robert D. Martin, University of ArizonaFollow

Abstract

Despite France’s historical role as a leading and founding member of the European Union, the 2022 and 2024 legislative elections saw a surge in support for Eurosceptic parties such as the Rassemblement National (RN) and the Nouveau Front Populaire (NFP). This appears to suggest a rise in Euroscepticism among French voters. This paper aims to examine the cause of these shifting electoral patterns in France through exploration of the question: How do French voters’ perceptions of political disillusionment, economic strength and national sovereignty relate to their growing support for Eurosceptic parties? This pa-per concludes that a growing disillusionment with establishment, traditional politics drives voters into the arms of more radical politics and parties. All these factors work towards the detriment of establishment, EU-friendly politics—and to the favor of populist, Eurosceptic alternatives.

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Recommended Citation

Martin, Robert D. (2025) "The Invisible Union: How French Policy Fuels Rising Euroscepticism," Claremont-UC Undergraduate Research Conference on the European Union: Vol. 2025, Article 12.
Available at: https://scholarship.claremont.edu/urceu/vol2025/iss1/12