France’s far-right made a significant breakthrough in the first round of crucial legislative elections on Sunday, with President Emmanuel Macron’s party finishing third behind the left, according to estimates.
The election saw the highest turnout in over four decades.
However, it remains uncertain whether Marine Le Pen’s far-right National Rally (RN) party will secure an absolute majority of seats in the National Assembly’s lower house in the July 7 second round and claim the prime minister’s position.
Macron shocked the nation and even some of his allies by calling for snap elections after the RN decisively defeated his centrist forces in the recent European Parliament elections.
This risky move could backfire, with Macron’s alliance now projected to win a much smaller minority in parliament, significantly diminishing the president’s power for the remainder of his term.
Projections from leading French polling firms show the RN receiving 34.5 percent of the vote, compared to 28.5-29.1 percent for the left-wing New Popular Front alliance, and 20.5-21.5 percent for Macron’s camp.
The projections suggest that the RN could secure a majority of seats in the 577-seat National Assembly after the second round, potentially achieving an absolute majority.
In response, Macron has called for a “broad” alliance against the far right in the second round.
Julien Martin, a 38-year-old architect who voted in the southwestern city of Bordeaux, commented, “These are not easy elections, the results are very uncertain, and the repercussions could be serious for society.”
