EU Policy Brief Series #17
This new EU Policy Brief, “The RN in Power: Lessons from Perpignan for French National Politics”, EU Policy Brief #17, written by Liam Nohr (Carleton University), May 2026, analyzes how the RN (Rassemblement National), France’s dominant far-right populist party, has governed since winning the mayoralty of Perpignan in 2020. Read the policy brief here.
He discusses the governance of the municipality as it is the largest city ever controlled by the RN and provides important insights for French and European politics. With the most recent municipal elections in March 2026, Perpignan voters again re-elected the incumbent RN mayor for another six years. Ahead of the 2027 presidential election year, understanding how the RN continues its authority in Perpignan is important.
Liam Nohr is a recent MA graduate in European, Russian and Eurasian Studies at Carleton University.
The Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence publishes a series of policy briefs from experts and scholars which address prominent policy issues facing the EU-Canada relationship.
Read more in the EU Policy Briefs Series here.
The European Commission’s support for the production of these publications does not constitute an endorsement of the contents, which reflect the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.
Jean Monnet activities are co-funded by the European Union and by Carleton University.