Far-right party leads 1st round of France’s snap legislative elections, exit polls show

In France’s snap legislative elections held on Sunday, exit polls indicate that the far-right National Rally (RN) is leading with around 34% of the vote. This is a significant setback for President Emmanuel Macron, whose centrist coalition is in third place with 22%, following the New Popular Front (NFP), an alliance of left-wing parties, which gained 28.5%.

The final outcome will be determined in the second round on July 7, where Marine Le Pen, RN’s leader, is urging voters to help RN achieve an absolute majority in the National Assembly, potentially allowing them to appoint the next prime minister. Macron has called on voters to support candidates who are “clearly republican and democratic,” excluding those from RN and the hard-left France Unbowed (LFI) party. Prime Minister Gabriel Attal emphasized that no votes should go to RN in the second round.

Jordan Bardella, RN’s president, highlighted the significance of the upcoming round, calling it one of the most decisive in the history of the Fifth Republic. Jean-Luc Mélenchon, founder of LFI and part of NFP, urged voters to support the NFP as the only viable alternative after Macron’s coalition’s defeat.

Source – CGTN