Reconquête !

EU RANK: 189 (Tier 5: High Risk)

Reconquête ! is a hard-right nationalist party founded and led by Éric Zemmour. It has struggled to translate visibility into parliamentary representation under France’s two-round system (including failing to win seats in 2024), but it remains influential as a discourse accelerator that pushes immigration, identity and “civilisational” frames. Its base overlaps with far-right media consumers, politically motivated donor networks, and online activist clusters, and it functions partly as a leader-centred movement with high media salience.

Disinformation and alternative media

Reconquête’s growth is closely tied to France’s opinion-TV transformation and the clip-based attention economy. The broader media ecosystem, especially talk-show formats, has provided high-visibility stages for hard-right narratives, and Zemmour’s transition from pundit to political leader exemplifies this dynamic. Even without owning media outlets, Reconquête benefits from the conversion of broadcast segments into viral social content, feeding influencer networks and reinforcing polarised communities online. This increases the risk of misinformation spillovers and antagonistic framing, particularly around immigration, Islam and security topics. Disinformation/alternative media risk is high.

Foreign influence and external alignments

According to our research, the records reviewed do not indicate direct foreign-state financing. However, Reconquête’s funding model is structurally more donation-driven than many parties. CNCCFP data show very high donation volumes for a relatively small extra-parliamentary party (about €2.97m in 2023, and higher in earlier published years), increasing vulnerability to scrutiny over funding transparency and the identities and motivations of donor networks. This is not proof of foreign influence, but it elevates exposure to “opaque financing” narratives and the reputational risks that accompany them. Foreign influence DMI risk is moderate.

Media capture, advertising and public service media

Reconquête has no ownership-based capture pathway. Its influence attempts are primarily agenda-setting and pressure-based—shifting discourse boundaries through controversy and repeated media appearances, and attacking PSB and mainstream outlets as part of a broader anti-elite mobilisation style. In a system where Arcom has tightened pluralism monitoring, the party’s leverage remains cultural and discursive rather than institutional. Media capture, advertising and PSB-control DMI risk is moderate. 

Corruption, litigation and institutional integrity

Reconquête’s institutional integrity exposure is high, driven mainly by repeated speech-related convictions involving Éric Zemmour (including hate-speech and defamation rulings in recent years). These are not classic “party finance” cases, but they are central to institutional integrity because they involve repeated legal sanctions on rhetoric that is core to the party’s mobilisation strategy. Combined with the party’s heavy reliance on private donations for sustainability, this produces a high-risk integrity profile. DMI corruption and institutional integrity risk is high.

Press freedom, harassment and treatment of media

According to our research, far-right formations in France have engaged in media exclusion practices and cultivated anti-media narratives; Reconquête fits this broader pattern through confrontational positioning toward journalists and public broadcasters. Its supporter ecosystem is prone to harassment dynamics against critical reporters, particularly during high-salience controversies. Even without formal censorship tools, the pressure effects can be significant. Press freedom and harassment DMI risk is high.

Dimension	Risk level	Short justification
Disinformation & alternative media	High	Opinion-TV/clip ecosystem + influencer networks create high polarisation and misinformation spillover risk.
Foreign influence & external alignments	Moderate	No direct foreign ties flagged, but unusually donation-driven funding model increases exposure to opaque-financing narratives and scrutiny.
Media capture & advertising / PSB control	Moderate	No ownership, but strong agenda-setting power via controversy ecosystems and pressure rhetoric against PSB and mainstream outlets.
Corruption & institutional integrity risk	High	Repeated speech-related convictions plus heavy reliance on private donations elevate integrity and compliance risk.
Press freedom & harassment of media	High	Adversarial posture and supporter harassment dynamics elevate pressure risks for journalists and outlets.