Le Pen ally blames ‘traditional right-wing’ for riots because they helped Macron undermine ‘sovereign power’ in France

President Emmanuel Macron has been the primary target of scorn following nationwide riots that overtook Paris and other cities, but the insurgent National Rally does not want to let mainstream conservatives off the hook.Frédéric Pierre Vos, a deputy in the French National Assembly and longtime member of Marine Le Pen‘s National Rally, told the Washington Examiner that his party’s commitment to reversing this situation is a defining divergence from the “classical right-wing” that has “collaborated” with Macron and his political movement. “The traditional right wing has completely defused and undermined the oath of allegiance that existed between law enforcement and the executive branch,” Vos said. “As soon as there’s a problem, the police are charged and the rioters are given preferential treatment, whereas it should be the complete opposite.”Youths break a store window during clashes between protesters and police in Paris, Sunday, Oct. 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Emma Da Silva) “Obviously, instead of undermining law enforcement by shooting them in the back to immediately pin legal problems on them under the pretext that a skirmish was complicated, [National Rally] will stand firm and be by the side of law enforcement,” the deputy said. “From this perspective, the traditional right wing has failed.”National Rally advocates a dramatic reduction of immigrants, a national refocusing on law and order, and disentanglement from E.U. intervention. The party is currently polling at approximately 35% in voter intention surveys ahead of next year’s presidential election — far away the first-place party.The two “traditional,” center-right political parties in France are Horizons and Les Républicains. At 16% and 7% respectively, they have been kneecapped by their association with the political mainstream that has become so unpopular.Tsiporah Fried, a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute, told the Washington Examiner that under Macron’s first mandate, “France’s political landscape has undergone a profound realignment, with parts of the traditional center-left and center-right converging around Macron’s centrist project.”Horizons was an open and enthusiastic collaborator with the centrist president for years — until the “slow agony” of his final term became too much. Edouard Philippe, former prime minister and leader of the party, began urging Macron to resign last year.Les Républicains has ostensibly opposed Macron for years but cooperated regularly on areas of overlapping interests, such as economic policy. Macron has also successfully poached multiple party members to serve in his Cabinet, blurring the relationship further.“Political parties are increasingly positioning themselves for the succession to President Macron,” Fried explained. “From the socialists to the center-right, parties are seeking to reaffirm their own political identities and distinguish their platforms from that of the current presidency.”The French government’s mismanagement of the protests has drawn condemnation from Horizons and Les Républicains, but Vos claims the entire political mainstream has been proven incapable of wielding “sovereign power.”The deputy pointed to Les Républicains leader and presidential candidate Bruno Retailleau, who was interior minister in 2023 when police shot a teenager of Algerian-Moroccan descent and sparked nationwide protests. Rioters burned close to 6,000 vehicles and damaged over 1,000 buildings.“Retailleau wasn’t able to contain all the problems they had at the time, even though he was minister of the interior,” he told the Washington Examiner. “Why? Because, in reality, today the sovereign power—that is to say … the executive, legislative, and judicial branches—is completely disorganized.”National Rally has a slew of plans for how to crack down on rioters, circumvent lenient judges, and provide legal protections for police.“We need a criminal response, but also a civil one: we must establish the principle of the rioter-pays,” Le Pen said in a Wednesday interview. “Those who take part in a looting must be jointly liable for the damages. The one who destroys a town hall will pay for life. For minors, it will be the parents.”Vos told the Washington Examiner that the party is prepared to pass a law “extremely quickly” that would shrink judges’ room for interpretation, ensuring “the rioters would inevitably be convicted” — making the legal change “even by decree” if necessary.“Then there’s another avenue […] which is to bypass criminal convictions and instead use tax penalties, thus reversing the burden of proof, since essentially the police issue a fine,” Vos said. “This fine can be quite substantial, and it is systematically sent to the rioter who was caught red-handed. It is up to them to prove they don’t have to pay the fine by contesting it before a special tribunal, not a criminal court.”Far-right leader Marine Le Pen and Far-right party National Rally president Jordan Bardella arrive to attend the 10th anniversary of the deadly 2016 truck attack in Nice, southern France, Tuesday, July 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Philippe Magoni, Pool) He continued: “Here, we can completely reverse the paradigm and intelligently allow — even if it’s not very high — a €20,000 fine, which will always be more effective than a prison sentence that’s never served.”TRUMP WARNS PARIS WILL BECOME ‘MUSLIM CITY’ UNLESS FRANCE CLOSES BORDERSPrime Minister Sebastien Lecornu issued a curfew earlier this week in areas ravaged by the riots, which ultimately quelled the bedlam.However, messaging from organizations and informal networks involved in the protests suggests that demonstrators intend to return to the streets during the weekend. The government has promised a “massive” deployment of police to contain the protests.