Major Victory for Macron Supporters in First Round of French Parliamentary Elections

Estimates from the first stage of the French parliamentary elections indicate that Emmanuel Macron's centrist party has achieved a significant victory. Reports suggest that achieving a parliamentary majority for this party seems 'imminent.' The first stage of the 'National Assembly' elections was held on June 11, one month after the conclusion of the French presidential elections and Macron's victory. The 'La République En Marche!' party, formed by supporters and like-minded individuals of the new French president, was also leading in pre-election polls. Current estimates show that 'La République En Marche!' and its allies will be able to secure between 400 to 445 seats by the end of the two-round parliamentary elections. According to AFP, such a potential victory would mean the formation of the largest parliamentary majority in the past 60 years. The 'National Assembly' has a total of 577 seats, and in the first stage of the elections, over 7,880 candidates competed for the seats. If candidates do not manage to secure more than 50% of the votes in the first round, the top two candidates will advance to the second round. Typically, only a few candidates manage to obtain more than 50% of the votes in the first round. Estimates from the Sunday elections indicate that the 'Republicans,' a traditional right-wing party in France, secured between 70 to 130 seats, while the far-right 'National Rally' obtained between 1 to 10 seats. Marine Le Pen from the 'National Rally' was the final rival of Emmanuel Macron in the French presidential elections. The biggest loser in the June 11 elections appears to be the 'Socialists,' the traditional left party in France, which seems likely to lose up to 200 of its current seats. Several politicians from various French parties, apart from the president's supporters, have expressed dissatisfaction with the results, including the former leader of the Republicans, who described the situation as 'disastrous,' and the deputy of the 'National Rally,' who expressed 'regret' over their party's results. Additionally, voter turnout was very low, with only 49% of eligible voters casting their ballots. Angela Merkel, the Chancellor of Germany, described the victory of Macron's supporters as 'a very great success' and congratulated the French president. The second round of the French elections will be held next Sunday.