EUPopLink Country report - France

<ns3:p>This country report examines the relationship between populism and Euroscepticism in contemporary France. As a founding member of the European Union (EU) and a central actor in its political and geopolitical architecture, France provides a fascinating case for analysing this link. The study will follow the EUPopLink theoretical framework and guidelines in order to analyse the main populist and Eurosceptic actors in France, their positions on Europe, the forms taken by the populism–Euroscepticism nexus, and the responses of mainstream parties. As a result, it will be argued that although both populism and Euroscepticism are present across the French political spectrum, they do not carry equal weight. Populism has become a structural and enduring feature of French political competition, whereas Euroscepticism has generally remained softer, more selective, and less central to party identity to such an extent that is has not become a defining feature of French politics. The French case therefore highlights a configuration in which populism is strong and durable, while Euroscepticism remains comparatively moderate, flexible, and politically secondary.</ns3:p>