France’s National Rally and its right-wing allies say they won enough seats in Sunday’s indirect Senate election to form a caucus, marking the party’s first time above the 10-seat threshold; the party did not disclose its exact total.
Of the Senate’s 348 seats, 178 were contested. Senators are elected by National Assembly lawmakers and local elected representatives, and caucus leaders can request votes, among other powers.
Marine Le Pen, the party’s leader and presidential candidate, said on X that the results exceeded expectations. The National Rally is preparing for the spring 2027 two-round presidential election; opinion polls cited in the report show it leading in the first round.
