Roland Gaucher entered the European Parliament in 1986 under the banner of the FN, replacing Dominique Chaboche, and was vice-president of the European delegation for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). He was also elected as regional counsellor of the Picardy region (1986–1987) and then of the Franche-Comté (1992–1998). He remained an active member of the FN from 1981 to 1993. He successfully sued "Le Monde" and "L'Est Républicain" for defamation in 1992, which accused him of being a former Waffen-SS.