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With less than a year before France’s presidential election, the far-right National Rally (RN) is stepping up efforts to forge ties with the country’s business elite. In a series of discreet but significant meetings, party leaders have sought to present a more business-friendly image, courting figures from France’s corporate upper echelons.

Coverage of the Meetings

On Monday, RN leader Jordan Bardella met with the executive committee of Medef, France’s largest employer federation, for a private lunch. The meeting, held under a media blackout, followed an even more discreet dinner in early April, as first reported by French weekly Le Nouvel Obs. That dinner, at Paris’s renowned Drouant brasserie, brought together Marine Le Pen, the party’s long-time figurehead, and several prominent business leaders, including the director-general of energy giant Engie, the CEO of TotalEnergies, the chairman of Renault, the head of the Accor hotel group, representatives from Axa, and France’s richest man, Bernard Arnault.

According to Medef’s president, Patrick Martin, the lunch with Bardella was the first in a planned series of meetings with representatives from across France’s political spectrum. However, the growing openness between the RN and big business marks a notable shift, capping a years-long effort by the party to burnish its economic credentials.

Key Claims and Statements

  • Bardella and Le Pen issued a joint statement pledging to “liberate” the French economy by cutting bureaucratic red tape, arguing that "regulations impose a huge cost on businesses and erode the purchasing power of the French public."
  • Bardella, who has positioned himself as the business-friendly face of the RN, told reporters he believed "in the freedom to do business," adding that he was "not left-wing" and does not view business "with disdain." He emphasized that the recovery of the French economy and the purchasing power of the working class would be central to the party’s presidential project.
  • Thomas Buberl, CEO of AXA, who attended the dinner with Le Pen, defended his participation, saying, "We are in a democracy – we must talk to everyone."

Divergent Perspectives

The RN’s outreach has been met with a mix of curiosity and caution. While Bardella has been portrayed as the pragmatic face of the party, some analysts suggest the charm offensive may be more about optics than deep-seated economic transformation. Tristan Boursier, an expert quoted by France 24, noted that the overtures might not reflect a deeper shift within the party’s economic thinking.

On the other side, skeptics within the business community remain wary. Patrick Martin, while confirming the meeting with Bardella, has expressed doubts about the RN’s economic programme, including a proposed €12 billion cut in VAT on fuel—a measure that has raised concerns among fiscal conservatives.

The party’s effort to shed its radical image extends beyond economic policy. Bardella recently appeared on the cover of Paris Match alongside his partner, Princess Maria Carolina of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, a move seen as part of a broader strategy to normalize the party’s public image.

Broader Context

The RN’s push for legitimacy comes against a backdrop of political fragmentation. As France’s traditional center struggles and the left remains divided between radical and reformist factions, the far right has carved a path through the middle. The business elite, scenting a potential shift in political winds, appears willing to engage with the RN, even as questions linger about the party’s readiness to govern and the coherence of its economic agenda.

For now, the conversations are happening behind closed doors, over lunches and dinners that speak to a changing political landscape. Whether these encounters translate into real policy influence or electoral support for the RN remains to be seen, but the symbolism is unmistakable: the far right is no longer dining at the kids’ table.