- France is voting in a historic parliamentary election, with the far-right National Rally (RN) party close to gaining significant power.
- The election involves two rounds, with most of the National Assembly’s 577 seats decided in the second round next Sunday.
- President Macron called the snap election following RN’s recent European election victory, surprising the nation.
- High voter turnout is expected, and initial results will be released shortly after polls close at 20:00 (18:00 GMT).
- Macron’s Ensemble alliance is predicted to lose many seats, and potential post-election violence has been warned.
France election 2024: Far right France election results – Le Pen’s National Rally party looks to make history
France is voting in a parliamentary election that could be historic, with the far-right National Rally (RN) party, led by Marine Le Pen and Jordan Bardella, closer to power than ever. This follows their recent victory in the European elections. In response, President Emmanuel Macron called for a national vote, surprising the country.
With 49 million voters expected to turn out in high numbers, the polls will close in major cities at 20:00 (18:00 GMT), with the first exit polls released shortly after. The election is in two rounds, and most of the National Assembly’s 577 seats will be decided in the second round next Sunday.
The short 20-day campaign has benefited RN, allowing them to sharpen their promises on immigration, crime, insecurity, and tax cuts to address the cost-of-living crisis. Jordan Bardella aims to become RN’s first prime minister, confident in winning many constituencies in the first round. However, he insists he will only take the role if the party secures an absolute majority of 289 seats, otherwise, France faces a hung parliament.
As the first results come in on Sunday evening, RN’s opponents must decide on their run-off strategies to prevent RN from gaining a majority. Many run-offs are expected to see RN facing the left-wing New Popular Front alliance, which also hopes to win the election. High turnout could mean up to three parties qualifying for the second round in about 250 constituencies, according to Brice Teinturier of Ipsos.
Historically, parties across the political spectrum have united to block the far right, leading to potential candidate withdrawals in triangular races to consolidate the anti-RN vote. President Macron’s Ensemble alliance is predicted to lose many seats, casting doubt on Gabriel Attal’s future as prime minister, despite his popularity.
Will Macron’s snap election gamble backfire?
Macron’s snap election decision has angered even his allies, as France wasn’t due for another election for three more years. The country is also preparing for the Paris Olympics starting on July 26, with metro stations like Concorde closed and security tight around Games sites. Police and military resources are stretched, and the interior minister has warned of potential post-election violence.
Macron will meet with his prime minister and government officials on Monday to plan their next steps. Meanwhile, prominent figures like NBA star Victor Wembanyama, football captain Kylian Mbappé, and YouTube influencer Squeezie have urged voters to avoid extreme parties. However, with deep divisions and limited time, organising a united front against RN remains challenging.
How does the election work?
There are 577 constituency contests, one for each seat in the National Assembly, which is the lower house of parliament.
Candidates with an absolute majority of votes in their constituency are elected in the first round.
In most cases, no candidate meets this criteria and a second round is held, which will be next Sunday – 7 July – when the final outcome will be confirmed.
To qualify for the run-off, candidates need first-round votes amounting to at least 12.5% of registered voters.
The top scorer wins the second round.
When will we have a result?
Voting ends at 8 pm (7 pm UK time), when pollsters publish nationwide projections based on a partial vote count.
Official results start trickling in, with counting usually fast and efficient and the winners of almost all seats likely to be known by the end of the evening.