• French election candidates withdraw in bid to block far right
• Numerous left and centre candidates withdrew from the race to prevent the far-right National Rally (RN) from winning
• The withdrawals mean around 108 three-way races will occur instead of over 300
• In the first round of voting, Marine Le Pen’s party and its allies secured around 33% of the vote
• The strategic withdrawals from left and centre candidates now mean the RN’s chances of an outright majority have been reduced
• French head back to the polls on Sunday for the second round of voting in the parliamentary election

French election candidates withdraw in bid to block far right

As the deadline for candidate declarations in the French elections passed on Tuesday, numerous left and centre candidates withdrew from the race to prevent the far-right National Rally (RN) from winning. The withdrawals mean around 108 three-way races will occur instead of over 300, with the rest being two-way run-offs.

In the first round of voting, Marine Le Pen’s party and its allies secured around 33% of the vote. However, the chances of the RN winning an outright majority in the National Assembly have been reduced by strategic withdrawals from left and centre candidates, who aim to consolidate the anti-RN vote.

The left-wing New Popular Front (NPF) instructed its third-placed candidates to step aside, aiding centrist candidates against the RN. This move is intended to help pro-Macron MPs like former Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne and Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin. Conversely, a pro-Macron candidate has stepped down in Amiens to support a left-wing candidate against the RN.

RN leaders, including 28-year-old president Jordan Bardella, have criticised these tactics as an “alliance of dishonour.” Although RN leaders have said they wouldn’t seek to form a government without an outright majority, Marine Le Pen suggested that a smaller majority could still allow them to negotiate with other MPs to gain support. If the RN wins, it could lead to a period of political tension and power struggles between President Macron and the new government.

🇫🇷 Post election after party on French streets. pic.twitter.com/CxCiE8Y6sW

— MonitorX (@MonitorX99800) June 30, 2024

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