France’s far-right party, the National Rally Gained a solid lead early on Controversial leader Marine Le Pen moved a step closer to forming a government after opinion polls showed her ruling National Party was guaranteed victory in the first round of the country’s parliamentary elections on Sunday.
President Emmanuel Macron of the centrist Renaissance party took the big gamble last month of dissolving Parliament after his National Rally party’s big gains in the European elections.
Macron had hoped that the Rally National’s hardline immigration policies and history of anti-Semitism would reduce the party’s vote in parliamentary elections, but that did not happen in Sunday’s election.
Early projections suggest the National Rally and its allied parties will win around 33% of the vote in the first round, with the Left coalition getting 28% and Macron’s coalition garnering 21%.
A high voter turnout is crucial to the election
Nearly two-thirds of France’s electorate cast ballots in Sunday’s vote, a significant increase from a key 2022 election in which Macron beat Le Pen to win the presidency, with turnout just under 40%.
If the Rally wins a majority in parliament, President Macron will be forced to nominate a member of the Rally, likely its leader Jordan Bardella, as prime minister. His agenda is effectively stalled.
Macron has faced numerous challenges in recent months, including worries about inflation and the broader economy, and his opponents campaigned largely on the rising cost of living and other common economic grievances against the French government.
Meanwhile, Renaissance and the Left Alliance have criticised the National Union’s xenophobic policies, including proposals for a large-scale immigration crackdown and restricting the rights of dual nationals.
Mr Bardella has already promised to scale back arms exports to Ukraine if elected, a sharp departure from Mr Macron, one of Kiev’s staunchest allies in Europe.
Prime Minister urges voters to stop far-right in second round of voting
Prime Minister Gabriel Attal, an ally of Macron, warned of dire consequences if his rival wins the second round of voting next week.
The coming days will determine the outcome of local elections, with runoff elections taking place in districts where no parliamentary candidate receives 50 percent of the vote. The National Coalition needs 289 of the 577 seats to secure a majority.
“The far right is opening the door to power,” Attal said, twice describing the Rally National’s policy pledges as “disastrous,” adding that “not a single vote should be cast for the Rally National in the second round. France does not deserve this.”
Macron’s coalition finished in third place, far ahead of the second-placed left-wing coalition.
Atal said on Sunday that his party’s candidates, who came third in the first round of voting, were withdrawing in order to strengthen a left-wing coalition against the National Alliance.
Le Pen aims for ‘absolute majority’ in parliament
Le Pen appeared excited by the election results and called on her supporters to oust Macron’s government completely.
“France has almost been purged of the ‘Macronist’ camp,” she said after voting had closed, adding that the result showed voters’ “willingness to turn the page after seven years in power that have brought scorn and corruption.”
Appealing to voters, Bardella portrayed his opponent as “dangerous.”
“The choice is clear,” Bardella said, accusing the left-wing coalition of running campaigns to “disarm the police” and “open the door wide for immigrants” and criticising left-wing leaders for “insulting the organisation and those who think differently from it”.
The second round of voting will be on July 7th.
The Associated Press contributed.
