Far-Right Wins First Round of French Parliamentary Elections

The far-right party 'National Rally' topped the political parties in France during the first round of parliamentary elections, but the final results of this election depend on events in the days leading up to the second round. According to estimates from polling institutes such as Ipsos, 'Opinion Way', and Elabe, the anti-immigrant far-right party led by Marine Le Pen garnered 34% of the votes in the first round held on Sunday, July 1. The second round of the elections is set to take place next week. Polls indicate that the coalition of centrist parties, including President Emmanuel Macron's party, received between 20.5% and 23% of the votes, while the left-wing coalition known as the 'New Popular Front' obtained 29% of the votes. The first round of the early parliamentary elections in France has begun. Now there is one week left for political bargaining until the second round of elections, and the fate of the majority of the 577 seats in the French parliament will be determined on July 7. Only candidates who receive more than 12.5% of the votes will advance to the second round. In the past, centrist right and left parties in France had united to prevent the rise of the far-right 'National Rally', but this dynamic, known in France as the 'Republican Front', is less evident than ever. On the other hand, the presence of citizens opposing the far-right to prevent the victory of the 'National Rally' was very prominent in the current elections, and polls show that voter turnout has reached its highest level in decades. By 3 PM local time, 60% of eligible voters had cast their ballots, while this figure was below 40% in the previous parliamentary elections held two years ago. The turnout in Sunday’s elections is the highest level since 1986, but the far-right party led by Le Pen is getting closer to power. Marine Le Pen, who is seeking to succeed as president, has asked Emmanuel Macron to resign from the presidency if her party fails in the parliamentary elections, a request that was met with a negative response from Macron. Less than a week ago, Jordan Bardella, the main figure of the far-right 'National Rally' party, introduced his party as ready to take power in a press conference. This 28-year-old politician has tried to help the party clean its radical image and urged voters to support the party with maximum votes to implement its anti-immigration policies and 'Law and Order' agenda. Earlier this month, Bardella's party outperformed Macron's centrist coalition in the European Parliament elections by nearly double the votes, which led the French president to unexpectedly dissolve parliament.