ABSTRACT
The 2002 presidential election will no doubt be remembered for a number of things, but mainly for the post-first round shock of finding Jean-Marie Le Pen as second round candidate. The 2002 presidential election marked the Front National (FN) apogee while highlighting the very real limits imposed upon it by a system, which it has permeated but cannot conquer. Looking at the composition and the dynamics of the FN vote gives us a good idea as to what accounts for what Le Pen termed the 'divine surprise' and reinforces the explanation put forward earlier on regarding the fidelity of the FN voters toward Le Pen. The composition of the FN vote is what is most revealing in terms of accounting for Le Pen's support in these recent elections. The continued success - in the elections of 2002 - of the party despite its serious internal crisis conversely illustrates the opportunities that persist despite the constraints imposed.
