French elections: far-right wins in first round
- June 30, 2024
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Marine Le Pen’s far-right National Rally (RN) party led the first round of France’s parliamentary elections on Sunday, exit polls showed, but the unpredictable final result will hinge
Marine Le Pen’s far-right National Rally (RN) party led the first round of France’s parliamentary elections on Sunday, exit polls showed, but the unpredictable final result will hinge
Marine Le Pen’s far-right National Rally (RN) party led the first round of France’s parliamentary elections on Sunday, exit polls showed, but the unpredictable final result will hinge on days of tug-of-war ahead of next week’s second round.
According to exit polls from Ipsos, Ifop, OpinionWay and Elabe, RN will gain around 34% of the vote.
That puts it ahead of rivals on the left and center flanks, including President Emmanuel Macron’s alliance, whose bloc will score between 20.5% and 23%. The New Popular Front, a hastily assembled left-wing coalition, was expected to win about 29% of the vote, according to exit polls.
The results of the vote, which showed high turnout and were in line with pre-election polls, provided little clarity on whether the Eurosceptic and anti-immigrant RN could form a government with the pro-European Macron.
There is a week of political negotiations left before the July 7 runoff. The final outcome will depend on how parties decide to combine forces in each of France’s 577 constituencies in the second round. In the past, France’s center-right and center-left parties have teamed up to prevent the RN from taking power, but that dynamic, known in France as the “republican front,” is less certain than ever.
The French president’s decision this month to call early elections has plunged his country into political uncertainty, sent shockwaves across Europe and triggered a sell-off in French assets on financial markets.
Turnout at Sunday’s vote was high, underlining how much France’s political crisis has galvanized the electorate.
By 1500 GMT turnout was nearly 60%, up from 39.42% two years ago, the highest comparable turnout since the 1986 legislative elections, Ipsos France research director Mathieu Gallard said.
Long an outcast, RN is now closer to power than ever. Le Pen has sought to detoxify a party known for its racism and anti-Semitism, a tactic that has worked amid voter anger against Macron, the high cost of living and growing concerns over immigration.
Reuters
Source: Aristegui Noticias
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