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The tripolar competition between the left, the moderate right and the far right was one of the keystones of the electoral order that emerged in France in 1984. Sharply challenged by Nicolas Sar- kozy in 2007, the electoral divide between the UMP and the FN was not restored in 2012 despite the recovery of the far right and the high score of Marine Le Pen in the presidential election. While the FN remains isolated in the party system, we argue that the radicalization of the UMP on immi- gration, law and order, and national identity has confirmed dramatic changes in the geographical distribution and the logics of moderate right voting. These two dynamics indicate that the UMP electorate and the FN electorate have become closer together.
