Ahead of local elections that serve as a bellwether for next year’s presidential campaign, the National Rally says it is the victim of an increasingly radical left wing.

France’s far right is framing the death of an activist associated with far-right groups as a moment akin to the murder of Charlie Kirk in the United States.

The National Rally has in recent days started pointing to the killing of 23-year-old Quentin Deranque in Lyon as proof the poll-topping populist party is the victim of an increasingly radical political left, much as the MAGA movement in the United States did following Kirk’s assassination last year.

With key municipal elections next month serving as a bellwether of the National Rally’s electability heading into the 2027 presidential race, the incident has deepened the fissures in France’s polarized politics and fueled fears of further violence.