TOULON, France — If you want to understand the far right’s appeal in France, or perhaps what could happen if the National Rally party gets a chance to govern, this southern port city is the place to go.

       Even in the years when the far right was considered toxic in much of the country, Toulon was partial to politicians who took a hard-line stance on immigration and crime. In 1995, it became the first large city in Western Europe since World War II to give control of the local government to a far-right party. Three decades later, in elections that begin Sunday, Toulon may send a far-right candidate to the National Assembly in Paris, potentially helping National Rally get its first chance to form a national government.