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Marine Le Pen, deputy and leader of the RN, alongside Sébastien Chenu, party spokesperson and deputy from the North, at the National Assembly, January 7, 2020. REUTERS / Charles Platiau

The Rassemblement national (RN) is heading for municipal elections with a convention this Sunday, January 12 in Paris. Objective: mobilize the troops to transform the test after the success of the Europeans. But Marine Le Pen's message could well be confused by current events: the mobilization against pension reform.

When it doesn't, it doesn't. As for the Europeans with the "yellow vests", the municipal campaign is barely starting. The social movement is against the pension reform. This Sunday's convention, originally scheduled for December, had also been postponed due to strikes in transportation.

Difficult for Marine Le Pen in this context to sound the reminder of the troops in view of the municipal elections and yet the stakes are high: the RN would like to ride on the dynamics of the Europeans to score points next March.

► Read also: 2020: Will Marine Le Pen wake up?

A ballot with three objectives: to present at least as many lists as in 2014, around 600, the challenge could well be met; keep the conquered town halls, such as Hénin-Beaumont: the balance sheet will be discussed during the convention; and win at least one trophy by succeeding in expanding: all eyes are on Perpignan where deputy Louis Aliot is waging an unlabeled campaign.

No quantified objective, however. The municipal elections are a difficult ballot for the RN, because national dynamics do not necessarily rhyme with local dynamics.

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