Mbappé plays on the left wing but where do his politics lie? France and Madrid impacts

Last Sunday, a surprising turn of events unfolded in France: Marine Le Pen’s far-right party, the National Rally (RN), won the European elections by a significant margin. One in three French voters cast their ballots for Le Pen’s party. In response to the result, President Emmanuel Macron has advanced the legislative elections to June 30 and July 7. These elections won’t change the presidency but will determine the composition of the National Assembly.

Mbappé gets into French politics

As France gears up to play in the Euro Cup while simultaneously holding legislative elections, Kylian Mbappé has voiced his thoughts on the matter.

“The Euros are important for our careers, but we are also citizens and cannot ignore what is happening in our country [...] We are aware that extremism is on the doorstep of our power. I urge everyone to vote and to be conscious of the situation. We need to stand by our values of respect. I hope we make the right decision.”

Mbappé has made it clear where he stands.

“I am against extremism. I believe some people are not fully aware of what is happening. I try to give a voice to people of my generation, those who share these concerns... Right now, I want to feel proud wearing this jersey. We should not hide. People say we shouldn’t mix politics and sport. But in situations like this, politics is more important than tomorrow’s match. At this moment, the country is in a critical situation. I stand against division. My values are respect and tolerance.”

His comments have clearly been headline news in France across the political spectrum, and given his imminent move to Real Madrid after the Euros, certain Spanish parties will be sure to make their support or criticism heard. How the French sporting hero impacts on voters, like Taylor Swift in the U.S., is yet to be felt.

Who is Marine Le Pen and what is her Party?

Marine Le Pen is the daughter of Jean-Marie Le Pen, founder of the far-right party National Front, now rebranded as the National Rally under her leadership. She believes that following the Brexit vote in the UK and Trump’s victory in the US, populism might be strong enough to break through past barriers and propel her to the Élysée Palace.

Le Pen, 55, is a mother of three and has been divorced twice. She has consistently sought respect for her children’s privacy, shielding them from media attention. A pivotal moment in her life was the bombing of her family’s Paris apartment when she was eight, which exposed her to the notoriety of her father. After her parents’ divorce, she increasingly spent time in his office.

She studied law and, in 1998, became a legal advisor to her father’s party. Le Pen served as vice-president, Member of the European Parliament, and later as a parliamentarian in France. She took over the party’s leadership in 2011 and has since worked to reshape its image, distancing it from its extremist roots.

Le Pen’s ideology: abortion, Putin, pensions

In her recent campaign, Le Pen aimed to win over working-class voters by positioning herself as a champion of their purchasing power. Her plans included subsidizing companies that hire young people, raising pensions, and lowering the retirement age—proposing that those who began contributing between the ages of 17 and 20 could retire at 60, and those who started after 21 could retire at 62.

On social issues, she does not intend to roll back rights such as abortion. Regarding same-sex marriage and assisted reproduction for lesbian couples and single women, she seeks a middle ground that neither alienates those affected nor the more conservative factions.

Le Pen’s stance on the Ukraine war is controversial. She opposes the European sanctions against Russia, reflecting her strong affinity for President Putin. As early as 2017, Le Pen was unofficially the Kremlin’s preferred candidate.

Speaking about the relationship between Russia and the National Rally, she has stated, “Our party has always believed that Russia and France should not only maintain but also develop the ties that unite us.” During her last campaign, she criticized the EU’s approach.

“We do not believe in diplomacy through threats or sanctions, which unfortunately the EU has increasingly applied against Russia. This approach is unfair and, frankly, foolish.”