Pensions and abolition of VAT on basic necessities

With less than two weeks to go before the first round of early legislative elections, Jordan Bardella, leader of the Rassemblement National (RN), is putting off several of his party’s emblematic measures. In the midst of the campaign for the elections on 30 June and 7 July, the RN is beginning to unveil its programme, as Bardella explained in an interview with Le Parisien on 17 June.

Speaking on Europe 1/CNews, he announced that certain promises, such as the withdrawal of the pension reform and the abolition of VAT on basic necessities, would be postponed until the autumn, citing the poor state of public finances. Jordan Bardella also indicated that pay rises would be discussed at a social conference scheduled for the autumn, anticipating the constraints of political cohabitation in the event of a legislative victory.

Repeal of pension reform

What the RN said in 2022: Marine Le Pen pledged to “refuse any increase in the retirement age” in her 2022 presidential programme. The RN opposed Emmanuel Macron’s pension reform, which was finally enacted in spring 2023.

What the RN is saying now: Jordan Bardella said that the pension reform would be repealed “from the autumn”, without specifying whether he would propose a new reform to allow retirement from the age of 60 for those who started their careers before the age of 20.

Abolishing VAT on basic necessities

What the RN said in 2022: Marine Le Pen promised to abolish VAT on a basket of around a hundred essential products as long as inflation exceeded growth by one point.
What the RN is saying now: Bardella wants to postpone this measure until the autumn, when the budget is voted on in October for the year 2025, due to the country’s financial situation.

Banning the veil in public places

What the RN was saying in 2022: Marine Le Pen’s programme proposed banning the Islamic headscarf in public places.
What the RN is saying now: Bardella maintains the veil ban as “an objective”, referring to a potential Marine Le Pen victory in 2027, due to current legal obstacles.

The fight against immigration

What the RN said in 2022: Marine Le Pen promised a referendum on immigration to enshrine in the Constitution the “national priority for employment and housing” and the abolition of droit du sol.

What the RN is saying now: Bardella plans to introduce a bill to abolish the droit du sol and stop the “migratory submersion”, although he acknowledges the current limitations without the presidency of the Republic.

NATO withdrawal

What the RN said in 2022: The RN promised a withdrawal from Nato’s integrated command in its presidential programme.
What the RN is saying now: Bardella qualified this position by taking into account the current context of the war in Ukraine, signalling that announcements would be made shortly.