French far-right RN and UDR allies secure threshold to form Senate group

Formation of the Senate group

Rassemblement National (RN) and its allies from Éric Ciotti's Union des droites pour la République (UDR) secured the ten seats required to form an official parliamentary group in the French Senate on 27 September 2026. The party previously held three seats in the upper house of parliament. Party president Jordan Bardella announced the outcome on X on Sunday evening as vote counting progressed across 64 constituencies. Marine Le Pen stated on the same platform that the results exceeded expectations and broadened the party's territorial reach. Forming a recognised parliamentary group gives the alliance additional speaking time, committee representation, and financial resources in the Palais du Luxembourg.

For the first time in its history, the Rassemblement National will form, with its allies from the UDR of President Éric Ciotti, a group in the Senate.

Regional gains and seat distribution

RN vice-president Sébastien Chenu stated that the party expected to finish with between 12 and 15 senators once all departmental counts concluded. The party won two seats in Bouches-du-Rhône and two seats in the neighboring Var department. In Gironde, RN vice-president and National Assembly deputy Edwige Diaz won a seat as senator. Léon Levasseur, who led the party list in Seine-Maritime, was also elected to the chamber. Additional gains and allied support were recorded in Vaucluse, Gard, and Alpes-Maritimes. In several departments, the party multiplied its vote tally by up to five times compared to the 2020 senatorial elections.

Our group in the Senate will carry the voice of forgotten territories, of rural areas, and of mayors too often far removed from the big decisions taken in Paris.

Chamber balance and results in Vendée

The triennial renewal involved 178 of the 348 Senate seats, decided by 93,469 grand electors representing municipal, departmental, regional, and national offices. The majority held by Les Républicains and their centrist allies remained intact across the chamber. In Vendée, 1,860 grand electors chose among six competing lists for three available seats after former senator Didier Mandelli chose not to run again. Bruno Retailleau, a senator since 2004 and candidate for the 2027 presidential election, retained his seat alongside Annick Billon and newcomer Maxence de Rugy on the Union pour la Vendée list. Their list secured 62.48% of the vote, defeating the left-wing list of Stéphane Ibarra at 20.63% and the far-right list of Olivier Dalmasso at 8.10%.

Left-wing challenges and presidential outlook

La France Insoumise (LFI) secured zero seats in the election, failing to gain an entry into the upper chamber. Candidate Gabriel Amard, the son-in-law of party leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon, was defeated in the Rhône department. A candidate representing French citizens living abroad fell short of election by three votes. That narrow defeat provoked mutual accusations between LFI and the Greens over their failure to form an electoral alliance. Insoumis representation is not expected to change until the 2029 senatorial renewal, when seats in Île-de-France and Nord will be contested. With the Senate vote serving as the final nationwide ballot before the April and May 2027 presidential election, parties will use the indirect results to assess local ground strength.

It is an accelerator for this presidential campaign.