Editing National Rally (section)

==== Revival of the FN (2011–2012) ====
{{Main|2012 Marine Le Pen presidential campaign}}
[[File:Marine Le Pen 481910683 0aa38c1c25 o d.jpg|thumb|left|[[Marine Le Pen]], National Front president (2011–2022)]]
[[File:French regional elections 2015 1st Round.svg|thumb|Results by region at the first round of the [[2015 French regional elections]], with regions where the National Front gained the most votes in grey]]
Jean-Marie Le Pen announced in September 2008 that he would retire as FN president in 2010.<ref name="tel1">{{cite news |last=Samuel |first=Henry |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/france/2798961/French-far-right-leader-Jean-Marie-Le-Pen-sets-retirement-date.html |title=French far-right leader Jean-Marie Le Pen sets retirement date |work=[[The Daily Telegraph|The Telegraph]] |date=11 September 2008 |access-date=15 April 2011 |location=Paris |archive-date=3 January 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110103033928/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/france/2798961/French-far-right-leader-Jean-Marie-Le-Pen-sets-retirement-date.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Le Pen's daughter Marine Le Pen and FN executive vice-president Bruno Gollnisch campaigned to succeed Le Pen,<ref name=tel1 /> with Marine's candidacy backed by her father.<ref name=tel1 /> On 15 January 2011, it was announced that Marine Le Pen had received the two-thirds vote needed to become the new leader of the FN.<ref name="bbc1">{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-12198370|title=Marine Le Pen 'chosen to lead Frances National Front'|work=BBC News|date=15 January 2011|access-date=15 April 2011|archive-date=16 March 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110316142838/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-12198370|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="bbc2">{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-12201475|title=France's National Front picks Marine Le Pen as new head|work=BBC News|date=16 January 2011|access-date=15 April 2011|archive-date=24 April 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190424051144/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-12201475|url-status=live}}</ref> She embarked on a project to transform the FN into a "mainstream party" by softening its xenophobic image.<ref name=tel1 /><ref name=bbc1 /><ref name=bbc2 /> Opinion polls showed the party's popularity increase under Marine Le Pen, and in the [[2011 French cantonal elections|2011 cantonal elections]] the party won 15% of the overall vote (up from 4.5% in 2008). However, due to the French electoral system, the party only won 2 of the 2,026 seats that were up for election.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.interieur.gouv.fr/sections/a_votre_service/resultats-elections/CN2011/|work=[[Minister of the Interior (France)|French Interior Ministry]]|date=26 May 2011|access-date=5 July 2011|title=Résultats des élections Cantonales 2011|language=fr|archive-date=14 July 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110714030846/http://www.interieur.gouv.fr/sections/a_votre_service/resultats-elections/CN2011|url-status=live}}</ref>

At the end of 2011, the National Front withdrew from the far-right [[Alliance of European National Movements]] and joined the more moderate [[European Alliance for Freedom|European Alliance of Freedom]]. In October 2013, Bruno Gollnisch and Jean-Marie Le Pen resigned from their position in the AENM.

For the [[2012 French presidential election|2012 presidential election]], opinion polls showed Marine Le Pen as a serious challenger, with a few polls even suggesting that she could win the first round of the election.<ref>{{cite news |last=Frosch |first=Jon |title=Far-right's Marine Le Pen leads in shock new poll |url=http://www.france24.com/en/20110307-new-poll-far-right-marine-le-pen-presidential-frontrunner |publisher=France 24 |date=7 March 2011 |access-date=26 May 2011 |archive-date=10 March 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110310165822/http://www.france24.com/en/20110307-new-poll-far-right-marine-le-pen-presidential-frontrunner |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Bamat |first=Joseph |title=New poll shows far right could squeeze out Sarkozy |url=http://www.france24.com/en/20110421-marine-le-pen-france-opinion-poll-presidential-election-sarkozy-strauss-kahn |publisher=France 24 |date=23 April 2011 |access-date=26 May 2011 |archive-date=27 April 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110427182625/http://www.france24.com/en/20110421-marine-le-pen-france-opinion-poll-presidential-election-sarkozy-strauss-kahn |url-status=live }}</ref> In the event, Le Pen came 3rd in the first round, scoring 17.9% – the best showing ever in a presidential election for the FN at that time.

In the [[2012 French legislative election|2012 legislative election]], the National Front won two seats: [[Gilbert Collard]] and [[Marion Maréchal]].<ref name="DT2MMLP">{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/france/9337631/Marion-Le-Pen-becomes-youngest-French-MP-in-modern-history.html|title=Marion Le Pen becomes youngest French MP in modern history|newspaper=[[The Daily Telegraph]]|last=Samuel|first=Henry|date=17 June 2012|access-date=30 June 2012|location=London|archive-date=22 June 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180622062721/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/france/9337631/Marion-Le-Pen-becomes-youngest-French-MP-in-modern-history.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.interieur.gouv.fr/sections/a_votre_service/resultats-elections/LG2012/030/03002.html|title=2012 French legislative elections: Gard's 2nd constituency (first round and run-off)|publisher=Minister of the Interior (France)|access-date=30 June 2012|language=fr|archive-date=12 July 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120712085320/http://www.interieur.gouv.fr/sections/a_votre_service/resultats-elections/LG2012/030/03002.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.businessweek.com/news/2012-06-17/anti-euro-le-pen-party-wins-first-parliament-seats-in-15-years|title=Anti-Euro Le Pen Party Wins First Parliament Seats in 15 Years|newspaper=[[Bloomberg Businessweek]]|last=Fouquet|first=Helene|date=17 June 2012|access-date=30 June 2012|archive-date=21 June 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120621031255/http://www.businessweek.com/news/2012-06-17/anti-euro-le-pen-party-wins-first-parliament-seats-in-15-years|url-status=dead}}</ref>

In two polls about presidential favourites, conducted in April and May 2013,<ref name="nouvelobs1">{{cite web |url=http://tempsreel.nouvelobs.com/politique/20130503.OBS8113/un-an-apres-la-presidentielle-marine-le-pen-devancerait-francois-hollande.html |title=Un an après la présidentielle, Marine Le Pen devancerait François Hollande- 3 mai 2013 – L'Obs |date=3 May 2013 |publisher=Tempsreel.nouvelobs.com |access-date=31 March 2015 |archive-date=2 April 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402114745/http://tempsreel.nouvelobs.com/politique/20130503.OBS8113/un-an-apres-la-presidentielle-marine-le-pen-devancerait-francois-hollande.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Marine le Pen polled ahead of president [[François Hollande]] but behind [[Nicolas Sarkozy]].<ref name="nouvelobs1" />