"There is no party more republican than ours," said presidential candidate Marine Le Pen at the conclusion of this symposium entitled "From hope to power".

Speaking of "molting" and "aggiornamento", she assured that "this refoundation started in 2011, and which accelerated in 2017 the day after the presidential election, we will continue it to continue to make the National Rally a party of government, the party of the great alternation".

"However, we do not have to be ashamed of our history", she assured during this speech where she only once mentioned the name of the founder Jean-Marie Le Pen, who was not present at the conference. .

Commenting on this very noticeable absence, Marine Le Pen assured journalists that "our objective is not at all to make it disappear, it has allowed this movement to exist in difficult conditions".

But "each generation takes over trying to achieve results that bring us closer to power", she added, adding that she had "not planned" to go to the reception organized by her father at his home. from Montretout to Saint-Cloud (Hauts-de-Seine) for the 50th anniversary of the party.

Jean-Marie Le Pen appeared discreetly in the brochure distributed during the symposium, especially on reproductions of press articles.

“It is not denying its roots, those who are members of the National Rally and especially elected officials are invited today”, for his part affirmed the interim president of RN Jordan Bardella, candidate for the presidency of the party.

This symposium was also an opportunity to assert government ambitions, while "at the beginning we were practically an auxiliary force", recalled Marine Le Pen's special adviser, Philippe Olivier.

"We have succeeded in imposing the tempo" of political life "by imposing all the themes that structure it", welcomed Marine Le Pen.

A short film, broadcast at the opening of the symposium, recalled that "2022 marks the end of the glass ceiling" for a party "ready to exercise power".

With 89 deputies elected in June, "we are at the heart of the institutions", assured the deputy Laurent Jacobelli.

"We are here at home, we are convinced that we will succeed Emmanuel Macron, the alternation is also being prepared here in the National Assembly," Jordan Bardella told journalists.

The conference "FN/RN 1972/2022 - From hope to power" at the National Assembly in Paris on October 6, 2022. Alain JOCARD AFP

The party will elect its new president at a congress on November 5 and for the first time "he will not be a Le Pen", added the presidential candidate, seeing this as "proof of the great maturity" of the party.

Also a candidate, Louis Aliot, who was chief of staff to Jean-Marie Le Pen, was not present at this conference.

He had "obligations as mayor of Perpignan", according to Jordan Bardella.

But the entourage of Mr. Aliot made it clear that neither he, if his supporters had been invited to speak.

© 2022 AFP