Cusp of chaos?

France’s Rassemblement National is reaping the benefits of a decade-long effort by Marine Le Pen to normalise a movement founded in the 1970s by her father, Jean-Marie Le Pen, who was convicted of hate speech for calling Nazi gas chambers “a detail of history”. But as it gets closer to achieving its goals, and claiming it is ready to govern, it remains a far-right party bent on waging culture wars and challenging the EU. 

Speaking to the FT ahead of the first round of snap parliamentary elections this Sunday, Jordan Bardella, the 28-year-old TikTok star and Le Pen’s most trusted lieutenant, vowed economic “pragmatism” even as he promised he would demand an EU budget rebate if his party wins.

He maintained the party’s tough approach to immigration. Bardella said the RN aimed in the coming years to overhaul the French constitution via a referendum to establish a “national preference” for citizens over foreigners for social housing and other welfare benefits. 

Let our seasoned experts guide you through this high-stakes election in special editions of our Europe Express Weekend newsletter. For the next three Saturdays they are free to read onsite in both English and French. France is at a turning point — but its next era also holds momentous consequences for European unity and beyond.

My choices this week

1. China’s tech employees are being pushed to their limit, working gruelling hours and sometimes attending meetings “in the middle of the night”. Our Beijing correspondents divulge the shocking details — and why many Chinese graduates still jostle for tech jobs. (Free to read)

2. Rishi Sunak’s Richmond seat has long been seen as “true blue” — it hasn’t faced a serious political fight for more than a century. But residents and Labour supporters sense change is afoot, as William Wallis reports in this colourful dispatch.

3. Our Middle East editor Andrew England tracks down the roots of entrepreneur Ibrahim al-Organi, whose company earned “millions and millions” in arranging escape for Gazans. His story sheds light on the inner workings of trade and power in Sinai.

4. Britain’s big election will be the one after this, argues Janan Ganesh in this incisive column that sparked much debate in the reader comments.

5. Afghanistan sits on an estimated $1tn of mineral wealth that decades of war have largely put off limits. But since coming to power, the Taliban has announced 200 mining deals in a rush to exploit the riches. FT analysis of satellite imagery reveals how many of these mines are coming to life.

6. LinkedIn’s recent makeover has seen it turn from the strictly professional to the personal, becoming a space for “vulnerability” posts and, some might say, oversharing. But if this is its new look, why isn’t it funnier? (Free to read)

Thanks for reading,

Roula Khalaf, FT editor

PS. With the UK general election just a week away now, do sign up for our award-winning Inside Politics newsletter and keep up to date with exclusive news, thought-provoking analysis and Stephen Bush’s trademark wit. You can get your first 30 days free.