National Rally and Allies Secure 15 Senate Seats to Form First Upper House Caucus

Threshold crossed in indirect vote

France held indirect elections on Sunday, 27 September 2026, to renew 178 of the 348 seats in the Senate for six-year terms. An electoral college of approximately 93,000 local and regional officials, heavily composed of mayors and delegates from rural municipalities, cast ballots across half of the departments and overseas territories. The National Rally secured nine newly elected seats, adding to the three seats the party had held since 2023 that were not up for renewal. Its ally, the Union of the Right for the Republic (UDR), won three seats in the vote. The combined total of 12 National Rally senators and three UDR senators allowed the alliance to clear the ten-seat threshold required to establish a formal parliamentary group. Marine Le Pen addressed the outcome as vote tallies concluded:

“The results exceed all our expectations.”

Expanded rights and resources

Jordan Bardella confirmed that the party will establish its first official parliamentary group in the upper house alongside its allies:

“For the first time in its history, the National Rally will form, with its allies, a group in the Senate.”

Official caucus status grants the group formal procedural powers within the upper house. These privileges include guaranteed speaking time during debates, the right to put formal questions to the government, and direct participation in setting the legislative agenda. Group recognition also provides additional state financial resources, allowing the party to hire dedicated parliamentary assistants. The electoral gains reflect the party's expanded presence among municipal officials following local elections in March 2026, in contrast to its historically limited presence in the Senate.

Shifts across the political spectrum

The ballot also resulted in La France Insoumise entering the Palais du Luxembourg for the first time by securing a single seat. Gabriel Amard, a 59-year-old deputy from the Rhône and the son-in-law of Jean-Luc Mélenchon, won the seat after serving in the National Assembly since 2022. Amard, a specialist on water policy, previously served as deputy mayor of Longjumeau from 1989 to 1995, mayor of Viry-Châtillon from 1995 to 2006, and regional councillor in Île-de-France. Moderate and governing forces recorded net losses across the renewed departments, with President Emmanuel Macron's camp holding 19 seats going into the election. The resulting gender balance in the 348-seat chamber stands at 134 female senators and 214 male senators, representing 38.5% female representation.

Male senators214

Female senators134

Male senators

214 seats

Female senators

134 seats

Data from the article text

Balance of power and parliamentary calendar

Conservative control of the Senate remains secure despite the gains made by the far right and left-wing opposition. Les Républicains and their centrist allies preserved their working majority across the 348-seat chamber, with figures such as Bruno Retailleau winning re-election. The conservative bloc has held continuous or near-continuous leadership of the French upper house since the nineteenth century. Formal constitution of the new parliamentary groups is scheduled for 5 October 2026, following the release of official election results on 28 September. In legislative conflicts, the Senate must yield to the National Assembly, where the National Rally has formed the largest single group since 2024 with 119 deputies and three allied members.