Discourse of Suspension: Analysis of the National Rally’s Nationalist and Populist Discourse in the Farmers’ Protests

Abstract

This study examines the discursive strategies of the National Rally (RN), a far-right political party in France, within the context of the farmers’ protests against EU policies (2024). Utilizing a post-structuralist discourse theory, the research delves into how RN leaders, Marine Le Pen and Jordan Bardella, re-articulate the grievances of French farmers within nationalist and populist frameworks. The RN strategically employs populism to position itself against both external EU bureaucrats and internal elites like President Macron, aiming to consolidate power in the EU June election. By dissecting speeches, media representations, and key events, the research demonstrates the strategic use of populism to mobilize support and secure political power. It argues that RN’s rhetoric sustains a “state of emergency” by creating a crisis narrative, crucial for maintaining their populist appeal. Furthermore, the paper examines the role of Lacanian fantasy in RN’s discourse, suggesting that the perpetuation of an unsatisfied desire for resolving the crisis is central to their strategy in which the elites play the role of the enemy barrier of their desire fulfillment. The study applies discourse-theory (Laclau & Mouffe; Glynos & Howarth) to examine how the RN constructs meaning around the farmers’ protests. A purposive corpus of speeches, party texts, and media coverage was coded for key signifiers and antagonisms to trace the re-articulation of farmers’ grievances into nationalist and populist narratives.