John Irish and Elizabeth Pineau

PARIS (Reuters). MARINE LE PENS – The far-right has been transformed from the fringe to mainstream status in a decade. Unbowed by her third unsuccessful bid for the presidency she pledged on Sunday that she would continue fighting against Emmanuel Macron while she focuses her attention on June’s parliamentary election.

Le Pen, who took the helm in 2011 of the party’s National Front (now called the National Rally) has worked to remove the anti-Semitic image that the National Front acquired during the almost 40-year-old leadership of Jean-Marie Le Pen.

In her latest bid to win the presidency, she tapped into the anger of the nation over rising living costs, decline in many rural communities, and general disillusionment with President Macron.

That allowed her to get between 42%-43% of the vote — according to estimates after polling closed on Sunday — more than doubling her father’s 18% score 20 years ago, when he lost to conservative Jacques Chirac in the 2002 runoff.

Le Pen declared to her supporters, “I will continue my fight for France” in an indefiant speech. She acknowledged defeat, but considered it a victory that gave hope to the French.

“I am afraid that the next five-years will continue with the disdain and brutal policies of five years ago and Emmanuel Macron won’t do anything to heal the divisions within our country.”

Le Pen is likely to be challenged by Eric Zemmour, a pundit turned-nationalist politician, and Marion Marechal (her niece), who both defected to Zemmour’s presidential campaign weeks before.

Zemmour and Le Pen both spoke of a potential coalition anti-Macronist nationalist forces that could emerge in time to the June parliamentary election. They didn’t say their expectations of the person in charge for such an alliance.

REINVENTING SHESELF

Le Pen’s ability to reinvent her self has been a hallmark of her career.

In an effort to expand her voter base, she’s softened her style and substance following a devastating defeat to Macron 2017. While she has reduced some of her anti-immigrant messages, she still promises “French first” policies for sheltering workers against globalization.

Opinion polls had consistently shown Macron ahead in this election. However, the smart first round campaign that focused on economic hardships helped make it closer than Macron would like.

This strong performance might give her party an opportunity to increase its parliamentary representation, after it secured just eight seats for 2017.

Although it is uncertain whether Le Pen can hold onto power until 2027’s next presidential election, however, in March her interview with Reuters she denied allowing for a fourth attempt at the Elysee Palace.

Five years ago, everyone thought she was finished after the TV debate. Bruno Bilde, a RN lawmaker, told Reuters that she hoped her stay. You can only continue if you have millions of French people who believe in your abilities.

Le Pen, who has been living and breathing politics since her earliest years of life, said that her childhood was marked by an explosion in a bomb which destroyed her family’s apartment at eight.

At age 18, she joined the party of her father. She later tried to remake the National Front’s image, but this led to friction with her father. He was finally expelled by her party in 2015.

Her use of the hijab has been linked to radical Islam, and she too has drawn controversy. She has tried to downplay her call for bans on public wearing the veil.

Le Pen, aged 53, denies that she is drifting to the centre. Le Pen, 53, has committed to keeping family benefits available for families where at least one parent is French citizen and to deport non-working foreigners for upto a year. Zemmour did not drag her into the race to the bottom during the campaign.

Her trademark gravelly voice has made her not hesitate to go head-to-head with opponents. Perhaps she is now part of the establishment she critiques.

Zemmour and Marechal already started a stronger anti-immigrant, socially conservative movement in order to rallie conservatives and hard-right elements of the centre-right.

The duo will not be reconciled, and it is unclear how or if Le Pen can do so. Zemmour couldn’t resist making a dig about the Le Pen clan in his speech after the results were out.

He stated that this was the 8th time Le Pen had lost a presidential vote. “I knew this was coming.”