Brittany Was Once Barren Ground for France’s Far Right. No More.

• What to Know
• Macron’s Advisers
• National Rally’s Rebranding
• Anti-Immigration Sentiments
• Tensions Over Antisemitism

So galore locals implicit truthful galore decades person near Gourin successful agrarian Brittany for the United States that Air France awarded the municipality a miniature Statue of Liberty.

So arrogant were residents of that binational identity, they fund-raised 4 years agone to person the statue recast successful bronze. It sits successful a spot of prominence, successful Gourin’s main square, encircled by poles bearing planetary flags.

And yet, successful the caller elections for the European Parliament, astir one-third of section voters opted for the far-right National Rally, a French enactment built connected aggravated anti-immigration sentiment.

“This is an country that knows what it means to beryllium immigrants,” said Pierre-Marie Quesseveur, a subordinate of the section Brittany TransAmerica association, who expressed astonishment astatine the predetermination results. “We are precise unfastened to each cultures.”

Equally stunned by the results, and disquieted astir what mightiness hap successful the French legislative predetermination that begins this Sunday, was the centrist politician of Gourin, Hervé Le Floc’h. President Emmanuel Macron announced the drawback election connected June 9, aft the acold close trounced his enactment successful the European elections.

“We each person immoderate household successful the United States,” said Mr. Floc’h from his bureau successful metropolis hall, which overlooks the mini Lady Liberty. While galore of those émigrées stayed successful the United States, others returned to Gourin with nest eggs to restart beingness here.