Securitizing the French other: far-right rhetoric, media frames, and the politics of fear in contemporary France

This article investigates how far-right political rhetoric in France contributed to the securitization of Muslim identity, thereby impacting French citizens of Algerian descent as the predominant group among the immigrants of North-African origin. By analyzing the discourse and frames adopted in the speeches of the leaders of the Rassemblement National (RN) Marine Le Pen and Jordan Bardella and their coverage on French television networks such as BFMTV and CNews, it demonstrates how political speech and media framing interact to present Muslims as cultural and political threats to French values and social cohesion. It reveals that the securitizing logic of the far right has extended beyond the RN, resonating within mainstream politics through figures such as Interior Ministers Gérald Darmanin and Bruno Retailleau. This diffusion blurs boundaries between populist rhetoric and state discourse, reinforcing public anxiety about Islam. Through the adoption of securitization theory, the article traces the trajectory of the normalization of exclusionary narratives, particularly by examining the colonial legacies, media amplification, and their integration into mainstream state governance in France.