# Amid France’s political ‘fragmentation’, ‘a case needs to be made for participatory democracy’

https://mins.news/en/item/58934

- France 24, 2026-09-15 08:01 UTC
- Politics
- Original: https://www.france24.com/en/amid-france-s-political-fragmentation-a-case-needs-to-be-made-for-participatory-democracy

> Historian Andrew Smith says Marine Le Pen and the National Rally’s lead in early presidential polling should not be treated as an inevitable far-right victory. The party benefits from clarity, unity and tightly focused messaging, while the left, centre and centre-right remain divided. He sees the polling as reflecting anger, anxiety, economic insecurity and political fatigue in a fragmented electorate, rather than simply growing polarisation.

## Related coverage

- [Amid France’s political ‘fragmentation’, ‘a case needs to be made for participatory democracy’](https://mins.news/en/video/58940) — France 24 English, 2026-09-15