Welcome to the Aix Economic Forum – Except for RN and LFI
The annual Rencontres d'Aix economic forum in France draws politicians and presidential candidates, but far-right RN and far-left LFI leaders are not welcome on stage, despite growing ties between the RN and business leaders indicated by polls.
The annual economic forum in Aix-en-Provence, known as the Rencontres d'Aix, has brought together a wide range of French political figures and presidential hopefuls—but with two notable absences. The far-right National Rally (RN) and the far-left France Unbowed (LFI) have been excluded from the main stage, even as polls show increasing interactions between the RN and the business community.
POLITICO's podcast "Playbook Paris" was recorded on-site at Parc Jourdan, the venue of the forum. Special envoys Jason Wiels and Paul de Villepin, who also author the newsletter "Paris Influence," discussed the situation. They noted that despite the RN's growing engagement with business leaders, party leaders are not welcome on the forum's stage.
This exclusion highlights a contradiction: while RN and LFI gain political traction, they are shut out of this key economic dialogue. Organizers appear intent on maintaining a certain sphere of discussion from which these parties are barred.
The discussion with POLITICO's envoys emphasized that, despite the absence of RN and LFI, other candidates and politicians are actively participating, and the forum is buzzing with debates about France's economic future.
