# 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 08:02 UTC
- Politics
- Original: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eZ4VeqExESw

> Historian of modern France Andrew Smith argues that Marine Le Pen and the National Rally’s commanding lead in early presidential polling should not be treated as an inevitable far-right victory. He says they benefit from familiarity, unity and tightly focused messaging, while the polling more fundamentally reflects a French electorate shaped by anger and anxiety.

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